People-Search Site Opt-Out Guide: TruePeopleSearch, NumberVille, 411 and More

What People-Search Sites Are and Why They Matter

People-search sites collect information from public records, marketing databases, and other sources and display it in searchable profiles. A typical profile may include your full name, age, current and past addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and the names of relatives and associates.

For most people this is an annoyance. For someone being stalked, it can be dangerous. A stalker can use these sites to find a new address after you move, identify your relatives, or confirm where you live. That is why removing your listings is one of the most effective steps you can take. Read stalking websites: what to know for the bigger picture.

Before You Start: Set Yourself Up Safely

A little preparation prevents mistakes.

• Use a safe device, one the stalker has not accessed, and a private browser window.
• Create a dedicated email address for opt-outs. Opt-out requests may require you to confirm by email, and you don't want your main inbox flooded or linked to your real name.
• List your listings. Search your name, city, phone number, and email on each site, and copy the exact web address of each listing.
• Keep a record. Note the site, the listing address, the date you submitted a request, and any confirmation.
• Don't use your real phone number for verification if you can avoid it, and be careful about what you provide. A site should not need your Social Security number.

Our Data Broker Removal tool provides direct links and pre-written removal text for major brokers.

The General Opt-Out Process

Although each site is different, most follow a similar flow.

1. Find your listing by searching your name and location on the site.
2. Copy the web address of the listing.
3. Find the site's opt-out or removal page. Look for links labeled "Opt out," "Remove my information," "Privacy," or "Do not sell."
4. Paste the listing address into the form and follow the steps, which may include confirming by email or answering a simple verification.
5. Submit the request and save the confirmation.
6. Check back in a few days or weeks to see whether the listing is gone.

Some sites have a separate process for each listing, so if you appear more than once, repeat the steps. Read how to remove yourself from data brokers for a deeper walk-through.

What to Expect From TruePeopleSearch, NumberVille, and 411.com

People often search for these three sites by name, so here is what you can reasonably expect, without relying on instructions that may have changed.

• Each site publishes its own removal process. It may be a web form, an email address, or both. Always use the site's current official page, not an old forum post or a search ad.
• Some listings take time. A request may take days or weeks to process, and some sites require you to confirm by email.
• Listings can reappear. If the site gets your data again from a source, you may need to submit another request.
• Related sites may copy the same data. After you remove a listing from one site, check others, because many pull from the same sources.

Searchers sometimes look for a site's privacy contact email address, such as the one for TruePeopleSearch. It is better to find the current contact on the site's own privacy or opt-out page than to rely on an address shared in a search result or forum, because addresses change and scammers imitate them.

How to Write a Removal Request

If a site accepts requests by email or has a free-text box, a short, clear message works best.

Subject: Request to remove my personal information

>

I am requesting that you remove the following listing and suppress my information from your site and any affiliated sites: [web address of listing]. My name as it appears is [name]. I am requesting removal for safety reasons. Please confirm in writing when this is complete.

Keep it brief. You don't have to explain your situation in detail, and you should not include more personal information than the site needs to find the listing. Save a copy of your request and any reply.

How to Avoid Removal Scams

Because many people want their information removed, scammers target them.

• Be wary of paid "removal" services that promise to clean up everything. Some are legitimate, but many are not, and you can do the basics for free.
• Don't click removal links in ads or unsolicited messages. Go to the site yourself and find its official page.
• Never pay to remove a listing from a site that offers free opt-out.
• Don't give your Social Security number or payment information to a removal page.
• Watch for lookalike sites that mimic a people-search site's removal page to collect your data.

If you think you were scammed, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and use the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's Secure Our World tips to secure your accounts.

Keeping Your Information Off for Good

Removal is not a one-time event.

• Re-check every few months using the same searches.
• Resubmit any listing that returns, and note the dates.
• Reduce the sources. Review what you share on social media, your marketing sign-ups, and public records you can change.
• Ask family and friends to avoid posting your address and to opt out themselves, since their profiles can list you as an associate.
• Check your state's rights. Some states give residents the right to request deletion of data held by data brokers, so check your state attorney general's website.

If your information has already been posted to harass you, read what is doxxing and how to respond, and submit a Web Data Removal Request.

Opt-Out Messages for Different Situations

Adjust the tone of your request to the situation.

• Standard request: "Please remove my listing at [address] and any related profiles. I am requesting removal for privacy reasons."
• Safety-related request: "I am requesting urgent removal of my listing at [address] for safety reasons. Please remove it as soon as possible and confirm."
• Follow-up if nothing happens: "I submitted a removal request on [date] for the listing at [address]. It remains visible. Please remove it and confirm in writing."

You don't have to share details about your situation. Short and polite is usually enough.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

• The listing is still there after a few weeks. Resubmit and keep the dates. Check whether a second listing exists under a variation of your name.
• The site asks for more personal information than seems necessary. Provide the minimum to identify the listing, and don't submit identification documents unless you have confirmed the site is legitimate.
• You get no confirmation. Look in your spam folder, and try the site's alternate method.
• A site says it cannot remove public records. Ask which source it uses, and consider whether you can address the source.
• Your information appears on a related site. Many sites share data, so repeat the process.

If a Site Refuses to Remove Your Listing

Some sites push back. If a site refuses without explanation, send a clear written request again and save the reply. If your information is being used to harass or threaten you, capture the page, report it to the police, and submit a Web Data Removal Request. You may also consider asking an attorney about options for removal.

Every listing you remove is one fewer way for a stranger to find you.

Sources and further reading

• ReportFraud.ftc.gov (Federal Trade Commission)
• Secure Our World (CISA)
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)