INFORMATION BROKERS – OPT OUT OFFER, IT’S A SCAM.

With the introduction of unregulated information brokers on the internet, persons who want to protect their privacy have looked for “Opt Out” provisions on websites. Unfortunately the ethical and regulated information brokers generally do not provide opt out provisions within their databases. For the regulated brokers you have some protections on the distribution of this information through federal and state law. The unethical, unscrupulous, and perhaps illegal internet information brokers will sell your personal and sometimes private information to anyone – to you, to your boss, to stalkers, to abusive neighbors, and yes to identity thieves.

One of these unscrupulous brokers, Zabasearch, has been sending spam emails offering to allow you to opt out. These emails are actually attempts to verify information and if you respond you will not be removed from the database. Rather the information you provide will be used to update the records prior to the continued sale of your personal information.

We first discovered this unscrupulous broker while talking with the Menlo Park, California, Police Department about three years ago. At that time there were only a few of these unregulated internet information brokers on the net. Now there are dozens.