Thursday, April 15, 2010

Is spokeo.com just a search engine, or a rip-off?

Spokeo.com states to do something very simple: aggregate all the publicly available info about a individual and sell it to any person who is willing to pay with payday loans no fax or otherwise. Some internet users wonder if Spokeo.com is a scam, or if they offer a service that is legitimate. The answer is some of column A, some of column B. “Spokeo.com is a scam” isn’t entirely true, but the functionality of Spokeo isn’t necessarily entirely legitimate.

What Spokeo.com offers

The basic service of spokeo.com is aggregating social networking info. Most social networking details – from MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, or any other site – is aggregated by the Spokeo.com search. The aggregator matches the details it gathers with an e-mail address. Spokeo.com then sells the details it aggregates to anybody who gets instant cash loans or any other financing to pay for the details.

Spokeo.com scam?

Spokeo.com scam can be a better name for the website, according to some allegations. Spokeo.com itself states in its privacy policy that it only gathers publicly accessible information. Some websites that have tested spokeo.com’s opt-out process claim it is spotty. Spokeo.com scam claimants also say the billing process could be a concern. Spokeo.com claims that they’re reviewing algorithms and policies.

Keeping your Spokeo search safe

Spokeo.com, scam or not, aggregates info that you may not want. More important than which web sites like Spokeo.com can be aggregating your data is what you choose to share. Take a check out the privacy settings on your social networks and set them as needed. Removing your information from Spokeo.com does not remove it from the original websites. Beyond safeguarding yourself from the potential Spokeo.com scam, it is just good practice in safeguarding yourself online.

Sources:

Snopes.com

Pandia Search Engine News

Spokio.com blog



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