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).
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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).
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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.
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.
