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10 signs your personal data is being sold online

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10 signs your personal data is being sold online

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Your personal data is probably being sold right now. Scam calls, junk emails, and weird login alerts aren’t random. They’re warning signs that your information is being circulated through data brokers, often without your knowledge or consent. 

Major breaches, like the recent Adidas hack, have exposed millions of names, emails, phone numbers, and home addresses. Once this data is leaked, it’s fed into a vast marketplace of data brokers who package, sell, and resell your information to advertisers, spammers, scammers and even cybercriminals. 

Think it hasn’t happened to you? Here are 10 red flags that your data is already out there and the steps you can take to stop it from spreading further.

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Illustration of a woman’s personal data being exposed (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Be proactive about your privacy

If your personal information appears on people-finder sites or in sketchy online databases, it stays there until you remove it. This means your full name, home address, email, and phone number are available to anyone, including scammers and stalkers. You can manually opt out of each site, but that takes time and patience. Instead, consider an automated privacy service that scans data broker sites and sends removal requests on your behalf. The less data floating around, the less likely it is to be misused.

11 EASY WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR ONLINE PRIVACY IN 2025

Illustration of personal data available online (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

OVER 8M PATIENT RECORDS LEAKED IN HEALTHCARE DATA BREACH

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10 signs your data is being bought and sold

If any of these are happening to you, your data is likely already floating around the broker and scammer economy. Here’s what to watch for: 

1. You’re suddenly flooded with spam emails

If your inbox is overflowing with shady product offers, sketchy promotions, or strange marketing emails you never signed up for, it’s a good bet your email address has been sold. This kind of spam typically results from your address being added to mass marketing lists purchased in bulk.

2. You’re getting nonstop scam calls

More calls than usual from unknown numbers? Telemarketers, fake IRS agents, and car warranty scammers often use brokered phone lists. If you’re getting several calls a day, it likely means your number is being recycled by different call centers and fraud operations.

3. You receive password-reset emails you didn’t request

Unfamiliar password-reset prompts are a sign someone is attempting to access your account. They may have found your email address and other leaked credentials and are now probing for weak points. It’s a key signal that your digital footprint is being exploited.

4. You notice strange charges on your bank account

Tiny charges can be a test by cybercriminals to see if stolen card info works. If even one unrecognized charge shows up, it’s critical to act fast. These small transactions often lead to bigger, more damaging fraud if ignored.

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5. You’re locked out of your own accounts

Losing access to your email, bank, or social media accounts may mean hackers have already reset your passwords. With enough personal data, criminals can bypass security questions and fully take over your identity online.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

6. Friends say they got weird messages from you

If your contacts report strange DMs, fake money requests, or odd links coming from your accounts, that’s a strong sign someone else has gained access. Cybercriminals use this tactic to trick your friends into clicking dangerous links or handing over money.

7. Sketchy social media accounts start following you

A wave of fake profiles suddenly following or messaging you is more than annoying; it could be a coordinated attempt to gather more information about you or impersonate you later. These accounts may also be bots programmed to phish for details or direct you to scam pages.

8. Personal info is already filled in on new websites

If your name, email, or phone number shows up on a form before you even touch the keyboard, that website may have purchased your information. Some sites share consumer data with partners, and this pre-fill behavior can indicate that your data is being sold and shared.

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9. You find your profile on people-search websites

Sites like Spokeo or Whitepages can display your full name, home address, phone number, family members, and more often scraped from public records or sold by data brokers. This makes you a target for identity theft, scams, and unwanted contact. 

10. You’re denied credit or insurance for unclear reasons

Rejections for loans, insurance, or rental applications can stem from inaccurate or outdated data in broker databases. If your reputation or credit score is being shaped by information you didn’t even know existed, that’s a clear signal that your data is out of your hands.

A woman working on her laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

CUSTOM DATA REMOVAL: WHY IT MATTERS FOR PERSONAL INFO ONLINE

How to stay safe: Steps to protect your data now

Noticing just a few of these signs means it’s time to take action. The more proactive you are, the better you can limit future damage and prevent your data from spreading further.

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1. Invest in a personal data removal service: Personal data removal services can request that your information be taken down from hundreds of data broker sites. It’s an effective way to remove your name from public listings and stop new profiles from popping up. While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web.

2. Strengthen your passwords: Use long, unique passwords that are different for every account. Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords. Get more details about my best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 here.

3. Turn on two-factor authentication: Adding a second step to your login process, like a text code or app confirmation, can stop hackers even if they know your password. Turn this on for email, banking, and any service that stores your sensitive info.

4. Monitor your financial accounts regularly: Check your bank and credit card statements every few days. Set up alerts for any activity, and if you’re not actively applying for credit, consider freezing your credit reports with all three bureaus.

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5. Use alias email addresses: Create separate email addresses for things like online shopping, sign-ups, and banking. This helps keep your primary inbox private and makes it easier to trace which services may be leaking or selling your information. If one alias starts receiving junk mail or suspicious messages, you can simply delete it without affecting your main account. It’s one of the simplest ways to reduce spam and protect your digital identity. See my review of the best secure and private email services here.

6. Don’t click suspicious links or attachments, and use strong antivirus software: Phishing attempts often look convincing, especially if scammers already know your name or other details. If something feels off, delete the message and go directly to the website instead of clicking the link. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

7. Be cautious about what you post publicly: Avoid sharing your birthday, hometown, full name, or photos of your home or license plates. Social media platforms are heavily scraped by bots and bad actors looking to compile detailed profiles.

8. Block robocalls and filter scam numbers: A surge in robocalls is a strong sign your phone number is being sold or shared by data brokers. These calls often come from spoofed or international numbers and may include fake IRS agentstech support scams, or phony insurance offers. To fight back, enable your phone carrier’s spam call protection (AT&T ActiveArmor, Verizon Call Filter, or T-Mobile Scam Shield). You can also use third-party apps like RoboKiller, Hiya, or Truecaller to screen calls, block known scam numbers, and report suspicious callers. Be sure to avoid answering unknown calls, even pressing a button to “opt out” can confirm your number is active and lead to more spam. Check out how to get rid of robocalls with apps and data removal services.

WHAT HACKERS CAN LEARN ABOUT YOU FROM A DATA BROKER FILE

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Kurt’s key takeaways 

Your personal data is valuable, and once it’s out there, it’s difficult, sometimes impossible, to claw it back. But you’re not powerless. The more proactive you are, the safer you’ll be. Start by cleaning up your digital footprint and removing your information from people finder and data broker sites. Whether you go manual or use a trusted service, acting now can help you avoid bigger problems later. Protect your privacy, defend your accounts, and stay one step ahead of the scammers.

Should data brokers be required to get your permission before collecting and selling your personal information? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

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Technology

Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

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Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

Amazon has slowly been teasing out casting details for its live-action adaptation of God of War, and now we have our first look at the show. It’s a single image but a notable one showing protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus. The characters are played by Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson, respectively, and they look relatively close to their video game counterparts.

There aren’t a lot of other details about the show just yet, but this is Amazon’s official description:

The God of War series storyline follows father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.

That sounds a lot like the recent soft reboot of the franchise, which started with 2018’s God of War and continued through Ragnarök in 2022. For the Amazon series, Ronald D. Moore, best-known for his work on For All Mankind and Battlestar Galactica, will serve as showrunner. The rest of the cast includes: Mandy Patinkin (Odin), Ed Skrein (Baldur), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), Teresa Palmer (Sif), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Jeff Gulka (Sindri), and Danny Woodburn (Brok).

While production is underway on the God of War series, there’s no word on when it might start streaming.

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300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

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300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

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Your web browser may feel like a safe place, especially when you install helpful tools that promise to make your life easier. But security researchers have uncovered a dangerous campaign in which more than 300,000 people installed Chrome extensions pretending to be artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Instead of helping, these fake tools secretly collect sensitive information like your emails, passwords and browsing activity.

They used familiar names like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Assistant. If you use Chrome and have installed any AI-related extension, your personal information may already be exposed. Even worse, some of these malicious extensions are still available today, putting more people at risk without their knowing.

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More than 300,000 Chrome users installed fake AI extensions that secretly harvested sensitive data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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What you need to know about fake AI extensions

Security researchers at browser security company LayerX discovered a large campaign involving 30 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as AI-powered assistants (via BleepingComputer). Together, these extensions were installed more than 300,000 times by unsuspecting users.

Some of the most popular extensions included names like AI Sidebar with 70,000 users, AI Assistant with 60,000 users, ChatGPT Translate with 30,000 users, and Google Gemini with 10,000 users. Another extension called Gemini AI Sidebar had 80,000 users before it was removed.

These extensions were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store, which made them appear legitimate and trustworthy. Even more concerning, researchers found that many of these extensions were connected to the same malicious server, showing they were part of a coordinated effort.

While some extensions have since been removed, others remain available. This means new users could still unknowingly install them and expose their personal data. Here’s the list of the affected extensions:

  • AI Assistant
  • Llama
  • Gemini AI Sidebar
  • AI Sidebar
  • ChatGPT Sidebar
  • Grok
  • Asking ChatGPT
  • ChatGBT
  • Chat Bot GPT
  • Grok Chatbot
  • Chat With Gemini
  • XAI
  • Google Gemini
  • Ask Gemini
  • AI Letter Generator
  • AI Message Generator
  • AI Translator
  • AI For Translation
  • AI Cover Letter Generator
  • AI Image Generator ChatGPT
  • Ai Wallpaper Generator
  • Ai Picture Generator
  • DeepSeek Download
  • AI Email Writer
  • Email Generator AI
  • DeepSeek Chat
  • ChatGPT Picture Generator
  • ChatGPT Translate
  • AI GPT
  • ChatGPT Translation
  • ChatGPT for Gmail

FAKE AI CHAT RESULTS ARE SPREADING DANGEROUS MAC MALWARE

These malicious tools were listed in the official Chrome Web Store, making them appear legitimate and trustworthy. (LayerX)

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How the fake AI Chrome extension attack works

These fake extensions pretend to offer helpful AI features, such as translating text, summarizing emails, or acting as an AI assistant. But behind the scenes, they quietly monitor what you are doing online.

Once installed, the extension gains permission to view and interact with the websites you visit. This allows it to read the contents of web pages, including login screens where you enter your username and password.

In some cases, the extensions specifically targeted Gmail. They could read your email messages directly from your browser, including emails you received and even drafts you were still writing. This means attackers could access private conversations, financial information and sensitive personal details.

The extensions then sent this information to servers controlled by the attackers. Because they loaded content remotely, the attackers could change their behavior at any time without needing to update the extension.

Some versions could also activate voice features through your browser. This could potentially capture spoken conversations near your device and send transcripts back to the attackers.

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If you installed one of these extensions, attackers may already have access to extremely sensitive information. This includes your email content, login credentials, browsing habits and possibly even voice recordings.

We reached out to Google for comment, and a spokesperson told CyberGuy that the company “can confirm that the extensions from this report have all been removed from the Google Web Store.”

BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK

Once installed, the extensions could read emails, capture passwords, monitor browsing activity and send the data to attacker-controlled servers. (Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

7 ways you can protect yourself from malicious Chrome extensions

If you have ever installed an AI-related Chrome extension, taking a few simple precautions now can help protect your accounts and prevent further damage.

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1) Remove any suspicious or unused browser extensions

On a Windows PC or Mac, open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into the address bar. Review every extension listed. If you see anything unfamiliar, especially AI assistants you don’t remember installing, click “Remove” immediately. Malicious extensions depend on going unnoticed. Removing them stops further data collection and cuts off the attacker’s access to your information.

2) Change your passwords

If you installed any suspicious extension, assume your passwords may be compromised. Start by changing your email password first, since email controls access to most other accounts. Then update passwords for banking, shopping and social media accounts. This prevents attackers from using stolen credentials to break into your accounts.

3) Use a password manager to create and protect strong passwords

A password manager generates unique, complex passwords for each account and stores them securely. This prevents attackers from accessing multiple accounts if one password is stolen. Password managers also alert you if your login credentials appear in known data breaches, helping you respond quickly and protect your identity. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.

4) Install strong antivirus software and keep it active

Good antivirus software can detect malicious browser extensions, spyware, and other hidden threats. It scans your system for suspicious activity and blocks harmful programs before they can steal your information. This adds an important layer of protection that works continuously in the background to keep your device safe. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

5) Use an identity theft protection service

Identity theft protection services monitor your personal data, including email addresses, financial accounts, and Social Security numbers, for signs of misuse. If criminals try to open accounts or commit fraud using your information, you receive alerts quickly. Early detection allows you to act fast and limit financial and personal damage. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.

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6) Keep your browser and computer fully updated

Software updates fix security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Enable automatic updates for Chrome and your operating system so you always have the latest protections. These updates strengthen your defenses against malicious extensions and prevent attackers from taking advantage of known weaknesses.

7) Use a personal data removal service

Personal data removal services scan data broker websites that collect and sell your personal information. They help remove your data from these sites, reducing what attackers can find and use against you. Less exposed information means fewer opportunities for criminals to target you with scams, identity theft or phishing attacks.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaway

Even tools designed to make your life easier can become tools for cybercriminals. Malicious extensions often hide behind trusted names and convincing features, making them difficult to spot. You can significantly reduce your risk by reviewing your browser extensions regularly, removing anything suspicious and using protective tools like password managers and strong antivirus software.

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Have you checked your browser extensions recently? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

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Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

Less than 24 hours before the deadline in an ultimatum issued by the Pentagon, Anthropic has refused the Department of Defense’s demands for unrestricted access to its AI.

It’s the culmination of a dramatic exchange of public statements, social media posts, and behind-the-scenes negotiations, coming down to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desire to renegotiate all AI labs’ current contracts with the military. But Anthropic, so far, has refused to back down from its two current red lines: no mass surveillance of Americans, and no lethal autonomous weapons (or weapons with license to kill targets with no human oversight whatsoever). OpenAI and xAI had reportedly already agreed to the new terms, while Anthropic’s refusal had led to CEO Dario Amodei being summoned to the White House this week for a meeting with Hegseth himself, in which the Secretary reportedly issued an ultimatum to the CEO to back down by the end of business day on Friday or else.

In a statement late Thursday, Amodei wrote, “I believe deeply in the existential importance of using AI to defend the United States and other democracies, and to defeat our autocratic adversaries. Anthropic has therefore worked proactively to deploy our models to the Department of War and the intelligence community.”

He added that the company has “never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner” but that in a “narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values” — going on to specifically mention mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. (Amodei mentioned that “partial autonomous weapons … are vital to the defense of democracy” and that fully autonomous weapons may eventually “prove critical for our national defense,” but that “today, frontier AI systems are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons.” He did not rule out Anthropic acquiescing to the military’s use of fully autonomous weapons in the future but mentioned that they were not ready now.)

The Pentagon had already reportedly asked major defense contractors to assess their dependence on Anthropic’s Claude, which could be seen as the first step to designating the company a “supply chain risk” – a public threat that the Pentagon had made recently (and a classification usually reserved for threats to national security). The Pentagon was also reportedly considering invoking the Defense Production Act to make Anthropic comply.

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Amodei wrote in his statement that the Pentagon’s “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” He also wrote that “should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.”

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