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The dangerous intersection of people search sites and scams

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The dangerous intersection of people search sites and scams

It’s no secret cybercriminals thrive on personal information to pull off scams, commit bank fraud and engage in identity theft. But did you know that a lot of the information they need is readily available on people search sites? It might surprise you to learn that these companies gather and sell your personal data — everything from your contact details to information about your family — often without you even realizing it.

What’s more, this data can become even more vulnerable to breaches simply by being stored on these sites. For instance, I recently discussed an alarming incident where 2.7 billion records were stolen from a background search site called National Public Data and then shared for free on a cybercrime forum.

Having your personal information floating around on these people search sites and data broker databases significantly increases your risk of falling victim to scams. But don’t worry. I’ll dive into the details of how this happens and, more importantly, what you can do to protect yourself and stop it.

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Illustration of a cybercriminal at work  (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Cybercriminals exploit people search sites for personal data

People search sites like Whitepages, Spokeo and BeenVerified are designed to help users find and connect with others, but they’ve become a goldmine for cybercriminals. Despite warnings against using the data for stalking, harassment or harm, these sites offer a wealth of information that can be exploited by malicious actors.

Scammers can access a wide range of personal details, including addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, birthdates, family information, employment history and even religious beliefs or political affiliations. They can also find property records, court and police records and information about hobbies and interests.

This comprehensive data allows cybercriminals to build detailed profiles of potential victims, making it easier to craft convincing scams or carry out identity theft. The abundance of personal information available through these sites poses a significant risk to individuals’ privacy and security.

A woman is upset about her personal information being online. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

3 ways scammers use people search sites

Let’s talk about how scammers are using people search sites to find their next victims. It’s pretty alarming, but understanding how this works can help us stay one step ahead.

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1. Finding victims

Cybercriminals can easily browse people search sites to dig up information about random individuals. They can look up names and uncover a treasure trove of details — like email addresses, phone numbers and other contact info. This is where things start to get a bit dicey.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

2. Profiling victims

Once they have access to this information, scammers can create detailed profiles of their targets. They might find out about someone’s job history, whether they have kids or even if they’re single and looking for love. They can also determine if someone is elderly, which can make them more susceptible to confusing tech jargon. Research indicates that a staggering 60% of cybercrimes against seniors — who are particularly vulnerable — are at least partly fueled by the personal information available online, often through data brokers and people search sites.

3. Putting the plan into action

With all this information in hand, scammers can launch targeted phishing attacks to trick victims into revealing sensitive information. They can create scams designed to steal money or even commit identity theft. There are countless stories of individuals falling prey to these scams and losing their identities. 

In many cases, the scammers likely sourced their information from people search sites. In some shocking instances, certain data brokers — like Epsilon, Macromark and KBM — have been caught red-handed selling personal information directly to scammers, giving them the tools they need to exploit vulnerable individuals.

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A person using a people search site on their laptop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MOST TARGETED CITIES FOR TRAVEL BOOKING SCAMS

4 ways to keep your personal information off people search sites (and away from scammers)

With the threat data aggregators like people search sites pose, it’s definitely a good idea to keep your information off their databases. While it won’t put a definitive stop to scammers, it will make it harder for them to find the information necessary to target you. It will also limit the number of places your data can be found online, thereby reducing the chances of it ending up in a data breach. That said, removing your information from people’s search sites can be easier said than done. It’s not impossible, though. Here’s what to do.

1. Track down and opt out from people search sites that sell your data

The first and most obvious step is to track down people search sites that sell your personal information and make them remove it. Fair warning: This requires a time commitment and ongoing maintenance.

You’ll first have to look up your own name, phone number, email address or home address on any popular search engine. You’ll likely see a bunch of people search sites in the search results. From there, you go through the results pages, visit each website that shows up and send individual opt-out requests to each one.

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Since they refresh their databases often, most people search sites will add your personal information again after some time, though. So if you want to keep your data offline, you’ll have to check back every few months and remove it again.

If you have a few bucks to spare, I recommend using an automated personal information removal service. These services remove your data from people search sites and tons of other data broker types. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.

2. Limit the number of online tools and services you use

You should also exercise some good digital hygiene practices. Like being more discerning about the online tools and services you use. Many of them actually harvest your personal information and sell it to third parties, including people search sites and data brokers.

Even something as seemingly benign and widely used as extensions can be leaking your data online. A study conducted by researchers over at Incogni revealed 44% of Chrome extensions collect your personally identifiable information (PII). Even if they don’t sell it, this increases the risk of data breaches and malicious activity if the extension goes rogue.

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You should reevaluate the apps, extensions and online accounts you use. Remove anything you don’t really need. For those that you do need, check the privacy policies for their data collection and sharing practices. You can always find more privacy-conscious alternatives.

3. Use throwaway emails and burner numbers wherever possible

Living in the digital age, I know it’s not really possible to go without any online tools. To sign up for most, you need to share at least an email or phone number. Unfortunately, those details are often shared with third parties, end up with people search sites and data brokers, circulate the web and ultimately result in increased spam and malicious attacks.

It’s a lot safer to use burner numbers and masked or throwaway accounts. This allows you to sign up, receive communication and maintain control of your online accounts while keeping all of the associated data and activity from being linked to your real identity.

4. Use private browsers and search engines

Browsers and search engines are another big source of data. Most of them track and share at least some of your online activity. Thankfully, there are plenty of browsers and search engines designed with privacy in mind.

I’ve previously recommended a few privacy-conscious search engine alternatives. They come with their own benefits and drawbacks but they all keep your search history private. The same goes for the browser itself.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

It’s clear that while people search sites can be useful for reconnecting with friends or finding information, they also pose significant risks to our privacy and security. By taking proactive steps to protect our personal data, we can make it much harder for cybercriminals to exploit our information.

In your opinion, what should be the responsibility of companies that collect and sell personal data regarding user privacy? Let us know by writing 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

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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

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

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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