People Search & Background Check Sites
Over 100 sites selling your personal information
The People-Search Industry
These companies scrape, aggregate, and sell your personal information, often making it freely searchable online. They collect names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, relatives, criminal records, property records, and more. Many operate networks of seemingly independent sites that all draw from the same databases. What appears to be a competitive marketplace of dozens of independent companies is, in reality, a handful of corporate networks running the same data through different front ends.
Who buys it: Individual consumers paying for reports, skip tracers, debt collectors, landlords, employers (despite FCRA restrictions), private investigators, stalkers (an unfortunately common abuse case), and marketers.
Scale of the problem: DeleteMe monitors 750+ data broker sites.[1] Optery catalogs over 640 detailed data broker profiles.[2] The GitHub "Big-Ass Data Broker Opt-Out List" maintained by Yael Grauer, cybersecurity researcher at Consumer Reports, covers dozens more.[3] According to research by Incogni, it would take the average person 304+ hours to manually opt out of all of them just once[4] — and many re-list your data within months.
The PeopleConnect Empire
PeopleConnect Holdings, Inc. is the largest people-search conglomerate in the United States, owned by H.I.G. Capital, LLC, a Miami-based private equity firm managing over $74 billion in capital.[5] H.I.G. Capital acquired Intelius on July 1, 2015.[6] PeopleConnect was formed by combining Classmates' social networking data with Intelius' people-search profiles after H.I.G. purchased Classmates for $30 million in August 2015.[7] In January 2020, PubRec, LLC — the operator of TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate, founded in 2010 by Kris Kibak and Joey Rocco in San Diego[8] — merged with PeopleConnect Holdings, consolidating the two largest people-search operations under one roof.[9]
The result is a network of nearly 20 brands that appear to be separate, competing services but share the same underlying data sources, technology platform, and corporate parent. The differentiation is purely a marketing strategy designed to capture multiple segments of the people-search market.
Major Consumer Brands
Secondary and Legacy Brands
The TruthFinder / Instant Checkmate Illusion
Both sites were operated by PubRec, LLC before merging into PeopleConnect. Despite being marketed as separate, competing services:
Shared Opt-Out
Filing a suppression request at suppression.peopleconnect.us/login covers all PeopleConnect subsidiary platforms.[14] The process: enter your email → receive a verification email from no-reply@verifications.peopleconnect.us → verify → navigate to the Suppression Setting tab → set Visibility to "Suppressed." Suppression may take a few days to a few weeks, though many users report 24-hour suppression. Contact: privacy@peopleconnect.us or 888-245-1655. Note that suppression may not be permanent; regular monitoring is advised.
The BeenVerified Network
The Lifetime Value Co. (LTVCO), founded in 2007 by Josh Levy and Ross Cohen, is the parent company of BeenVerified and several related brands.[15] Headquartered in New York with operations in Costa Rica, LTVCO received a $150 million investment led by Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital in December 2020 — its first institutional fundraise.[16] Like PeopleConnect, LTVCO operates multiple seemingly independent people-search brands under a single corporate umbrella.
LTVCO Brands
LTVCO's official brands page lists nine brands.[18] Additional affiliated sites such as FreePhoneTracer (freephonetracer.com) share the BeenVerified database and redirect to NumberGuru for premium reports.
Opt-Out
The primary opt-out portal is beenverified.com/app/optout/search. Multiple data removal guides report that opting out of BeenVerified cascades to affiliated LTVCO brands including PeopleLooker, NeighborWho, and Ownerly.[19] However, consumers have reported that after using BeenVerified's opt-out system, their data reappeared in the databases over time. BeenVerified has been named in federal consumer class action lawsuits under the Illinois Right of Publicity Act for unauthorized commercial use of individuals' identities in advertising.[20]
Spokeo
Spokeo, Inc. is based in Pasadena, California, and was founded in 2006 by Stanford graduates Harrison Tang (CEO), Mike Daly, Ray Chen, and Eric Liang.[21] It is one of the few major people-search sites with no venture capital or private equity backing; venture capitalists turned the founders down or offered unfavorable terms early on, and the company has been self-sustaining since.[22]
Spokeo aggregates data from social networks, public records, marketing databases, and real estate listings. It allows anyone to create white-labeled versions of its reports, meaning many smaller people-search sites are simply Spokeo resellers. In approximately 2024, Spokeo acquired ThatsThem (thatsthem.com), a free people-search engine that combined public records with voter registration and property data.[23]
Legal history: In 2012, Spokeo paid $800,000 to settle FTC charges that it violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act by marketing consumer data to employers and recruiters without ensuring permissible purposes, failing to ensure data accuracy, and having employees post fake endorsements on tech blogs and news websites.[24] This was the FTC's first FCRA case addressing online and social media data in employment screening.[25] As part of the settlement, Spokeo was required to submit compliance reports to the FTC for 20 years.[24]
Spokeo was also the subject of a landmark Supreme Court case: Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, 578 U.S. 330 (2016). The Court held that a bare procedural violation of the FCRA, without a concrete injury, may not be sufficient to establish Article III standing — a ruling that made it significantly harder for consumers to sue data brokers for statutory privacy violations.[26]
Opt-out: spokeo.com/optout. ThatsThem has a separate opt-out at thatsthem.com, though it may now funnel through Spokeo infrastructure.
Radaris & the Lubarsky Network
Radaris is one of the most controversial people-search sites for the depth of relationship data it exposes freely, including detailed family connections, addresses, and associates. An extensive investigation by KrebsOnSecurity in March 2024 revealed a sprawling and deliberately opaque corporate network behind the site.[27]
Bitseller Expert Ltd, incorporated in Cyprus, formally operated the Radaris website. The Cyprus business registry lists the director as Pavel Kaydash from Moscow.[27] However, the actual operators are Massachusetts residents Dmitry Lubarsky (goes by "Dan") and Igor Lubarsky (goes by "Gary"; surname also appears as "Lybarsky" in some records).[27] The brothers registered most of their businesses using a fabricated name: "Gary Norden" (also appearing as "Gary Nord" or "Gary Nard") — a pseudonym later admitted by Radaris's own attorney to have been "invented by the Radaris marketing division."[28] The email address gnard@unipointtech.com is tied to 137 domains, including radaris.com.[27]
Beginning in the early 2000s, Dmitry and Igor built an e-commerce empire marketing prepaid calling cards and VOIP services to Russian expatriates in the United States. They also operated multiple Russian-language dating services and affiliate programs.[27] Their businesses have ties to a California marketing firm (Lamedia.biz, based in Tarzana) connected to Joint Stock Company Channel One Russia, a Russian state-run television network sanctioned by OFAC on May 8, 2022.[27][29]
Known Radaris Network Domains
These represent only a fraction of the 137+ domains linked to the Lubarsky network. Many serve as funnels that redirect visitors to paid people-search reports on Radaris or third-party sites.[27]
After KrebsOnSecurity published its investigation, the Lubarsky brothers' attorney threatened to sue Krebs for defamation unless the story was retracted. In June 2024, Krebs published a follow-up — "KrebsOnSecurity Threatened with Defamation Lawsuit Over Fake Radaris CEO" — revealing that Radaris's attorney had admitted the "Gary Norden" identity was a fabrication.[28]
Opt-out: Radaris has its own opt-out process, but consumers report significant difficulty getting data removed. Multiple complaints have been filed with the FTC, BBB, and state attorney general offices. There is no shared suppression center across the Lubarsky network.
Nuwber, Onerep & the Conflict of Interest
This is the story of a privacy "protection" company that also operates data brokers. Nuwber, Inc., based in Alexandria, Virginia, is a people-search site that aggregates public records and makes personal information freely searchable. Onerep markets itself as a service to remove your data from people-search sites. Both are connected to Dimitri Shelest, from Minsk, Belarus, who used the email address d.sh@nuwber.com.[30]
Onerep's website explicitly stated: "Please note that OneRep is not associated with Nuwber.com."[30] However, an investigation by KrebsOnSecurity revealed that Shelest admitted to maintaining an ownership stake in Nuwber, a consumer data broker that first appeared in late 2015 — around the same time he launched Onerep. Shelest had launched dozens of people-search services since 2010, with domain registrations tied to at least 179 domain names. Nuwber's employees all appear to be from Belarus.[30]
The conflict of interest creates a perverse incentive: the same person profited from both exposing people's data and charging them to remove it.
Consequences: In March 2024, Mozilla announced it was "winding down" its collaboration with Onerep in its Mozilla Monitor Plus service, one week after the KrebsOnSecurity investigation published.[31] The full separation took far longer: by November 2025, Krebs reported that Mozilla had finally completed its separation from Onerep, discontinuing Monitor Plus entirely with access ending December 17, 2025.[32]
ClustrMaps connection: ClustrMaps (clustrmaps.com), a location-based people-search aggregator originally founded in London, pushes users who attempt to opt out toward an Onerep affiliate partner link, encouraging sign-ups for Onerep privacy plans.[33] This creates a pipeline: data broker exposure → opt-out attempt → funneled to another entity in the same network.
FastPeopleSearch & Chinese Affiliate Networks
FastPeopleSearch (fastpeoplesearch.com) is operated by Mississippi Tornado Alley, LLC, registered in California (entity #201720710064) with a listed principal of Robert Miller.[34] Launched in August 2017, the site claims over 100 million searches per month, though independent traffic analytics suggest significantly lower visitor counts.[34] It provides free access to public records including phone numbers, addresses, and property details. The company has minimal online presence and limited corporate transparency.
FastPeopleSearch has been the subject of a class action lawsuit in Colorado (Elliott v. Mississippi Tornado Alley LLC) for listing Colorado residents' mobile phone numbers without consent, alleging violations of Colorado's Prevention of Telemarketing Fraud Act.[35]
The Chinese Affiliate Network
A March 2024 investigation by KrebsOnSecurity exposed a network of U.S.-focused people-search sites based in China.[36] The investigation, triggered by a reader inquiry about TruePeopleSearch.net, found that:
These are not actual data brokers — they are affiliate marketing fronts that redirect to real people-search services. The Chinese operators earn commissions on every report purchased through their referral links. The fabricated identities make accountability impossible.
Whitepages
Whitepages, Inc., based in Seattle, was originally a phone directory service that expanded into comprehensive background checks. It was founded by Alex Algard, who purchased the domain for $900 while a student at Stanford.[37] In 2013, Algard and CFO Jason Eglit used company profits and a $30 million bank loan to buy out all outside investors (TCV and Providence) for $80 million, making the company fully privately held.[38] Current CEO is Leigh McMillan (promoted 2019); Algard remains as Executive Chairman.[39]
Whitepages Properties
The Ekata / Mastercard Connection
In June 2019, Whitepages spun off its B2B division as a separate company called Ekata.[40] In April 2021, Mastercard acquired Ekata for $850 million.[41] Ekata now operates as "Ekata, a Mastercard company," working with 2,000+ companies worldwide for fraud detection and identity verification.[42] Ekata's Identity Engine draws from the Ekata Identity Graph, aggregating data elements associated with over one billion global identities.[43]
This means the same underlying data that powers Whitepages' consumer people-search also feeds Mastercard's global identity verification systems. The consumer-facing Whitepages.com continues to operate separately; the Mastercard acquisition only covered the B2B enterprise division. Ekata does not have a consumer-facing opt-out.
Opt-out: whitepages.com/suppression-requests. Opting out of Whitepages should also remove data from 411.com (same company).
Other Notable People-Search Sites
Independent People-Search Sites
Beyond the major networks, there are dozens of independent people-search sites that aggregate and sell personal information. The following is a comprehensive list of sites with known opt-out procedures, compiled from the Big-Ass Data Broker Opt-Out List (BADBOOL), Optery, DeleteMe, IntelTechniques, and Incogni.
The Data Supply Chain
People-search sites do not generate their own data. They aggregate and repackage data from multiple upstream sources. Understanding the supply chain is critical for understanding why opt-outs are often temporary or incomplete — even after you successfully remove yourself from a site, the same data flows back from upstream suppliers within weeks or months.
Credit Header Data
The single most important data source for people-search sites. Credit header data is the identifying information at the top of a credit report: name, address history, Social Security number, phone numbers, and date of birth.[49] Under traditional interpretation, credit header data is not treated as a consumer report under the FCRA, meaning it can be sold without "permissible purpose" requirements. It is governed by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act instead.[50] Credit header databases are compiled non-consensually — anyone participating in the credit economy has one. Suppliers include the major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax) and resellers like LexisNexis.[51]
In December 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed a rule to clarify credit header data as a consumer report, which would have dramatically restricted its sale and been the single most impactful regulatory change for the people-search industry. However, the proposed rule was withdrawn on May 15, 2025.[52]
USPS National Change of Address (NCOA)
NCOALink is a USPS dataset of approximately 160 million permanent change-of-address records.[53] It is licensed to approved Full Service Providers (48 months of data, updated weekly) and Limited Service Providers (18 months of data).[53] People-search sites use NCOA data to track address changes and maintain current records. Approximately 40 million Americans per year file change-of-address forms, and the verification process is minimal.[54]
Voter Registration Files
All states maintain computerized statewide voter files, as required since the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (North Dakota is exempt, as it does not require voter registration).[55] Commercial vendors like L2 and TargetSmart purchase raw voter data, standardize field names, and merge the data with credit bureau records, consumer data, and other outside sources.[56] The resulting enhanced voter records include not just name, address, date of birth, and party affiliation, but also purchasing habits, religious affiliation, recreational activities, and social media profiles.[57]
Private Change of Address (PCOA) Data
PCOA datasets combine NCOA data with private-sector updates from utility companies (gas, electric, water connections), phone carriers, magazine subscription services, and credit grantors. These datasets fill the gaps that USPS NCOA misses — not everyone files a formal change of address with the postal service.
Public Government Records
Commercial Data Aggregators
The upstream suppliers that feed people-search sites include some of the largest companies in the data industry:
Social Media and Web Scraping
People-search sites also scrape public social media profiles (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter/X), public web content, professional directories, blog posts, and forum and community site profiles. Some sites, like Classmates.com, exploit "find friends" features where users upload their own contacts, inadvertently providing data on people who never consented.
Why Opt-Outs Fail
The multi-source data supply chain explains why opt-outs from people-search sites are often temporary:
Manual opt-outs must be repeated regularly. Automated removal services (Optery, DeleteMe, EasyOptOuts, Incogni) monitor and re-submit on ongoing cycles, typically every 1 to 4 months.
Enforcement Actions
Federal and state regulators have taken increasingly aggressive action against people-search companies. The following are the most significant enforcement actions to date:
FTC v. TruthFinder / Instant Checkmate (2023) — $5.8 Million
The FTC charged that TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate deceived consumers about background report accuracy and violated the FCRA by operating as consumer reporting agencies without compliance. The companies used push notifications and marketing emails that claimed subjects had criminal or arrest records when the records were merely traffic tickets, and offered free premium reports in exchange for positive reviews without requiring disclosure of the compensation.[11] Settlement: $5.8 million civil penalty. Source: FTC Press Release
DOJ/FTC v. MyLife.com (2020–2021) — $33.9 Million Judgment
The DOJ, on behalf of the FTC, sued MyLife and its founder Jeffrey Tinsley for deceptive practices. MyLife created "teaser background reports" that falsely claimed to include arrest, criminal, and sex offender records. MyLife violated the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, and ROSCA (Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act). The court found MyLife liable for $33.9 million in consumer redress on partial summary judgment; the final settlement required payment of approximately $21 million ($16 million from MyLife, $5 million from Tinsley) due to MyLife's inability to pay the full judgment.[44][45] Both MyLife and Tinsley are permanently banned from offering any product with a negative option feature. Source: DOJ Press Release
FTC v. Spokeo (2012) — $800,000
Spokeo paid $800,000 to settle FTC charges of FCRA violations for marketing consumer data to employers and recruiters without ensuring permissible purposes, failing to ensure data accuracy, and having employees post fake endorsements.[24] First FTC FCRA case addressing online/social media data in employment screening.[25] Spokeo required to submit compliance reports to the FTC for 20 years. Source: FTC Press Release
Intelius — $10.5 Million Class Action Settlement
Consumers sued Intelius over unauthorized enrollment in membership programs and unauthorized credit card charges to third-party vendors via post-transaction marketing with Adaptive Marketing LLC.[10] The class action settlement totaled $10.5 million ($9.5 million in cash and $1 million in vouchers). Intelius also paid a separate $1.3 million settlement to the Washington State Attorney General in 2010 after a two-year investigation into consumer complaints about unauthorized enrollment in membership programs.[63]
FastPeopleSearch — Class Action (Colorado)
FastPeopleSearch (Elliott v. Mississippi Tornado Alley LLC) was accused of listing Colorado residents' mobile phone numbers without consent in violation of Colorado's Prevention of Telemarketing Fraud Act.[35] Source: Top Class Actions
Emerging Regulatory Trends
The FTC has pivoted from monetary fines to structural remedies — banning data sales and collection methods entirely. In January 2024, the FTC issued first-ever bans on precise location data sales against X-Mode Social (and successor Outlogic)[64] and InMarket.[65] In December 2024, the FTC issued the first-ever prohibition on real-time bidding data collection for non-advertising profiling against Mobilewalla.[66] Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton notified 100+ companies of failure to register under the Texas Data Broker Act, which carries a penalty of $100 per day, capped at $10,000 per year for non-compliance.[67]
California's Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP), available to consumers since January 1, 2026, allows California residents to direct all registered data brokers to delete their personal information with a single request.[68] Data brokers must begin processing DROP deletion requests by August 1, 2026.[69]
How to Opt Out
The most efficient approach is to start with the centralized opt-out portals that cover multiple sites at once, then work through the independent sites individually.
Centralized Opt-Out Portals
California DELETE Act (DROP Portal)
California residents can now submit a single deletion request to all registered data brokers through the Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP) at cppa.ca.gov/data_broker_registry/.[68] Data brokers must begin processing these requests by August 1, 2026.[69]
DIY Resources
Paid Removal Services
Important: No removal service achieves 100% removal across all sites. Whether you opt out manually or use a paid service, removal must be treated as an ongoing process, not a one-time event.