NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
“I don’t use Facebook. I don’t even have an email. How could scammers possibly know anything about me?”
That’s the question I hear from people over 60 all the time. If you assume that by staying off social media and avoiding the internet, you’re invisible to fraudsters, think again.
The truth is, even if you’ve never posted a single thing online, scammers can still know your age, home address, relatives’ names, property value, and even when you’ve suffered the loss of a loved one. How? Because the everyday details of your offline life are quietly being collected, digitized, and sold.
And scammers are taking full advantage.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.
REMOVE YOUR DATA TO PROTECT YOUR RETIREMENT FROM SCAMMERS
Scammers can still know a lot about you, even if you have never posted anything online. (Fernando Gutierrez-Juarez/picture alliance via Getty Images)
How scammers target seniors without social media
Here’s the uncomfortable reality: you don’t have to “put yourself out there” for your information to appear online. Much of it becomes public record automatically, thanks to the way our legal and government systems work.
Some of the biggest sources include:
- Obituaries: When a loved one passes away, obituaries often list family members, ages, locations, and relationships. To scammers, it’s a family tree of potential targets.
- Real estate records: Property purchases, sales, and even mortgage details are public. This can tell scammers whether you own your home outright, what it’s worth, and if you might be cash-rich.
- Probate filings: When estates go through probate, details about beneficiaries and assets are recorded. Scammers can identify heirs and target them with fraudulent “inheritance assistance.”
- Property tax documents: These are often searchable by anyone. They reveal not only your address but also your financial standing.
- Court filings: Divorce, bankruptcy, and civil disputes often contain personal details, which are public by law.
On their own, these may not seem dangerous. But combined, they create a shockingly detailed portrait of your life.
THE DATA BROKER OPT-OUT STEPS EVERY RETIREE SHOULD TAKE TODAY
Public records can provide a portrait of your life. (Barbara Eddowes via Getty…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at FOX News : Tech…