Many believe that avoiding social media and the internet keeps them safe from scammers. However, this misconception can be dangerous. Even if you don’t have social media accounts or rarely go online, scammers can still learn essential details about you—such as your age, home address, family members, property details, and even personal tragedies—through publicly available records and data brokers. These details are quietly collected, digitized, and sold, enabling fraudsters to create detailed profiles without ever visiting your social media pages.

How Your Offline Life Becomes Online Data

Many people assume that staying offline shields them from fraud. But the truth is, much of your personal information becomes accessible through automatic public records, legal documents, and government data. Sources like property records, court filings, obituary notices, and probate records are routinely published and accessible. These pieces of information, when combined, form a comprehensive picture of your life that scammers can exploit.

The Threat of Data Brokers and Shadow Profiles

Data brokers are companies that specialize in collecting and selling personal information. They gather data from various sources—including online purchases, public records, and leaked information—to compile detailed profiles. Even if you’ve never shared anything online, your data may still exist in these databases. Once sold, this information can be used to create ‘shadow profiles,’ which are used to target individuals with scams, impersonations, or identity theft.

The Bereavement Scam: Exploiting Grief for Financial Gain

A particularly insidious scam involves scammers scraping obituaries for recent losses of spouses or loved ones. They then reach out pretending to be funeral home staff, grief counselors, or charities, referencing real names and details to appear authentic. During vulnerable times, victims are less guarded, making them easy targets for scams that seek to steal money or identities. Scammers can also target the families of deceased individuals years later, offering fake memorial services or financial products, further fueled by the personal data they have collected.

Protect Your Data and Reduce Scam Risks

While you can’t prevent all public records from existing, you can take steps to make it harder for scammers to access your information. Consulting data removal services can significantly diminish your online footprint. These services actively monitor and erase personal data from numerous websites and databases, reducing the risk of your information being exploited. Limiting your exposure makes it more difficult for scammers to cross-reference data breaches or dark web leaks to target you effectively.

Take Action to Safeguard Your Privacy

Visit reputable data removal services to perform free scans and see what personal information is available online. Removing or restricting access to your data isn’t just about privacy—it’s a crucial step in protecting your finances, identity, and retirement savings from increasingly sophisticated scams. Remember, even if you’re not on social media, your offline life is already online through public records and data broker sales. The fewer data points available, the less vulnerable you are to emotional and financial scams.

For more tips on protecting your personal information and avoiding scams, check out trusted resources like the official websites of privacy advocacy organizations and cybersecurity authorities. Staying informed is your best defense against those who seek to exploit your offline and online lives.

Ethan Cole

I'm Ethan Cole, a tech journalist with a passion for uncovering the stories behind innovation. I write about emerging technologies, startups, and the digital trends shaping our future. Read me on x.com