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Data brokers want your information. Don’t let them take it

Data brokers want your information. Don’t let them take it

Our data is a precious commodity, not only to us but to the many potential customers of data brokers who collect and sell it without our knowledge. Once obtained the information can then be used to market products at us, assess our suitability for jobs or financial services, and even whether we qualify for certain healthcare coverage. The worst part is that we’re often unaware of the data being amassed and sold, as it all happens behind our back. Thankfully, you don’t have to be at the mercy of these practices, as there are services that can help you have your data removed and then prevent it from being collected again. So, if you want to keep your information secure, you’re going to need a little help. What are data brokers? As we’ve already outlined, data brokers collect information from websites, services and other companies, then package it to be sold to the highest bidder. It’s a legal practice, but not one that feels fair to consumers or in their best interests. There are two main types – public and private. You may have seen public ones, as they come in the form of people search sites where you can look up a surprising amount of information about individuals – often including their address and contact details. Then there are the private brokers. These collate the personal information of people and offer them to range of sectors, including marketing, risk-mitigation (for insurance companies, healthcare, etc.), recruitment (providing background information on candidates), and financial (data on whether you should be offered accounts, loans or other services). Incogni A report from the BBC , including video footage obtained from a call centre in India, showed the scammers that worked there laughing about their victims in the UK and USA. One recounted how he’d forced a woman to hand over her last $100, leaving her in tears. How does this relate to data brokers? The truth is that scammers don’t pick phone numbers at random. They buy your data from brokers. Once your data is out there, it’s not just calls. It’s phishing, impersonation, and identity theft. How can I stop data brokers selling my information? This is no easy task, as there are many private brokers and obviously your data is part of their business model. So, getting them to remove your information can be difficult. That’s where Incogni can give you a massive advantage, with its deep knowledge of the industry and how it works. Incogni specialises in helping customers regain control of their personal data by automatically removing listings from over 420 data brokers, both private and public. On its Unlimited plan, customers can also send custom removal requests in additional to the standard ones, where they point out particular websites and Incogni handles the removal of the data. With over 1,000 unique sites already addressed on behalf of customers, alongside the 420+ standard scans, plus over 245 million successful data removal requests so far, you know that Incogni is a company you can trust to get the job done. This is borne out by the fact that it’s also the first data removal service to have its commercial claims verified by a Big Four auditing service. The process of removing data is very simple. After setting up an account on the Incogni site, the service will run a scan on people search sites to find your personal information, then send removal requests. Next, requests are sent to the private brokers (something which is not always offered on other services without upgraded to a higher tier). Incogni If needed, follow up requests are sent after 60 days (public brokers) or 90 days (private brokers), with Incogni boasting an impressive 99% confirmation of removal requests. The company then re-scans the sites and sends fresh requests so that customers won’t have their data collected again. While this is going on, Incogni keeps you up to date with individual progress reports. The approach of constant monitoring and recurring removal requests prevents brokers from sneakily re-adding your information again. This means that even if it does reappear, Incogni’s on-going process will take it down again, keeping your privacy safe. Invest in your privacy with Incogni The cost of having your data sold can be high but protecting it is very affordable with Incogni. Prices start at $7.99/£5.99 p/m and there are also plans for up to 5 people if you want to protect the privacy of your family. There’s a 30-day money back guarantee and you can cancel at any time. To celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, Incogni is running special promotions with major discounts off its subscription prices. So, be sure to check the site throughout the month to grab a fantastic deal. Sign up to Incogni Today Don’t let secretive companies track and report on you to make themselves money. Instead, take control again with Incogni . After all, data brokers can’t sell what they don’t have.

The dangers of having your private information online

The dangers of having your private information online

As you browse the internet and sign up to sites or services, you’re actually leaving behind a trail of personal information. This can then be packaged up and sold to various parties, with results that can impact applications to jobs, financial services or even healthcare. Just try Googling your name and you may find a shocking amount of data about you that’s available to anyone for free or at a small cost. So, is this just the price of using online services, or should you be worried about how this information could affect your life? How does your personal data become available? One of the main currencies of the internet is information. This means that when you join a new site or service, there’s a good chance that elements of the data you provide could be sold to data brokers. These companies can then put together the information they glean from various sources to build a profile on you, which is then either made available on people search sites or sold to a range of interested customers. What harm comes with having personal data online? Not only does this have potential risks to your privacy and safety, as anyone could get access to things like your phone number, businesses you own, or other contact details.  But it could also work against you in a number of ways. Data brokers can sell your data to financial bodies such as banks and insurance companies, who might decide that you’re too much of a risk for loans, credit cards or mortgages. Recruitment consultants can go to brokers for background checks on potential employees, all without your consent. Healthcare providers can also approach brokers as part of their risk-mitigation, which could result in you being refused treatment or cover. The problem is that the information they are using to appraise you might not be accurate or at least could be missing the context in which it would make more sense. But you never see it and wouldn’t even know that the checks had taken place. Incogni How to I remove my personal data from the web? To protect yourself from this scary situation it’s best to employ the services of a professional data broker information removal service. These have the best resources, knowledge of the industry, and know what legal and procedural approach to take when getting your data erased. One of the leading companies in the field is Incogni , with over 245 million successful data removal requests executed so far. Its streamlined service makes the whole experience effortless. All you do is sign up for an account, ask Incogni to run a scan, then it takes care of the rest. The service automatically removes your data from over 420 brokers (both private and public), then regularly re-scans the sites to ensure that your information doesn’t get added again. If it does, then Incogni removes the information can remains vigilant on your behalf. This constant monitoring and removal means you can feel safe that your data isn’t going to reappear the moment your back is turned. If you use the Unlimited plan, then there’s the option to create custom requests, pointing Incogni to specific sites that host your data so it can be removed. Over 1,000 unique websites have already been addressed in this way, and Incogni constantly works to increase its scope in order to protect customers’ data. Incogni never sells, trades or shares customer information, and it’s the first data removal service to have its commercial claims verified by a Big Four auditing service. This means you can trust Incogni to work on your behalf. Incogni Keep your personal data private Signing up to Incogni only costs $7.99/£5.99 p/m for a single account and there are also plans available for up to 5 people. Plus, there’s a 30-day money back guarantee and you can cancel at any time. To celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, Incogni is running special promotions, with large discounts on its normal subscription prices. So, keep an eye on the Incogni site throughout October if you want to pick up a bargain. Sign up to Incogni today! Don’t let that job, loan or health cover get away because of information about you that you can’t control. Instead, let Incogni clean up your online presence so you can take back your privacy once more.