Current:Home > StocksIf you think you are hidden on the internet, think again! Stalk yourself to find out -Excel Wealth Summit
If you think you are hidden on the internet, think again! Stalk yourself to find out
View
Date:2025-04-12 12:26:44
You know by now you should keep the private things in life off the internet. Your middle name, job, city, pet's name, the school you went to, your spouse’s name, the ages of your kids, your shoe size – the details a scammer or hacker would love to have.
A popular new TikTokker is proving most of us are a lot worse at this than we assumed. Let’s take a closer look at "consensual doxxing” and how you can dig up everything out there online about yourself.
I write about the latest tech gear, security alerts and digital life hacks in my daily emails.Join 600K+ who get the Current each day. It’s free!
She has it down to an art
TikTokker Kristen Sotakoun has become an overnight viral sensation, going from 30 followers to 1.1 million, for what she calls "consensual doxxing." In her first viral video, Kristen unearthed a guy's identity from a cartoon avatar and a pair of glasses.
In another, she used only a TikTok business username to track down its owner, winding her way from a car forum to a 2014 blog to online records of his journey to donate an organ. (She found the actual paperwork!)
Think your accounts are locked up like Fort Knox? Nope
Kristen says she’s cracked about 70% to 80% of her “cases,” and all she's using are the social media crumbs people leave behind – no deep dives into public records or sketchy databases.
If she can do it, anyone can. I’ll show you some tricks of the trade.
Hit the basics
Google is the easiest place to begin your search. Enter your full name in quotation marks, like “Bobby Smith.” There are plenty of Bobby Smiths out there, so you’ll want to narrow your search using other information, such as what city you live in.
Check social media
Do this from your browser in incognito mode or log out of your accounts to see what others might find. Remember, though, many people don’t use their real names online. If you find one of your online aliases in your Google search, know that others will too – and might pop that into Instagram, Pinterest, or another site.
And if you have a LinkedIn, I will bet you use your real name there. Is your city included? All your past jobs? I thought so.
Your house is online too
I don’t mean Zillow. Anyone can look up your address on a county’s assessor site. These government-run sites use data from assessors to estimate the value of real property within a county, city, town, or village.
You can find out the value of the property, its size and the owner’s name. Not all assessor sites provide the same information, but you can often find the owner’s signature and listings of other properties they own.
A picture is worth a thousand words
Words and profiles are one thing, but what about pictures of you? All these sites are worth checking to see what pops up.
◾ Pimeyes: This site allows you to upload an image of yourself (or anyone) to find that image across the internet. This is particularly useful for tracking down where your photos appear online.
◾ TinEye: Another excellent reverse image search tool.
◾ Yandex Images: This is the image search side of Yandex, Russia's largest search engine. It allows you to perform reverse image searches and find similar photos online.
You might want to start thinking of your digital footprint as unique to you but easily lifted if you're not careful.
Get my podcast
“Kim Komando Today” is a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions like you from all over the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts using my last name. For your convenience, hit the link below for a recent episode.
PODCAST PICK:Food delivery bomb prank, Amazon passkeys & hidden Airbnb cam
Plus, hear about a man who tattoos his online trolls' faces on himself in a unique payback plot. Do you lurk on your ex’s social profiles? I reveal the science behind why we do it – even if it’s not good for you. Also, Amazon shopping hacks for snagging deals and tips to ace voice typing.
Check out my podcast “Kim Komando Today” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.
Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, “Komando.”
Learn about all the latest technology on the Kim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website.
veryGood! (76)
Related
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Liverpool star Mohamed Salah ‘shares pain’ of grieving families at Christmas amid Israel-Hamas war
- Lose a limb or risk death? Growing numbers among Gaza’s thousands of war-wounded face hard decisions
- 25 Secrets About The Santa Clause You'll Enjoy—Even If You're Lactose Intolerant
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- The right to protest is under threat in Britain, undermining a pillar of democracy
- 1 dead, several hurt after Texas house explosion
- Nothing to fear with kitchen gear: 'America's Test Kitchen' guide to tools, gadgets
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Kuwaiti and Saudi hunters killed by a leftover Islamic State group explosive in Iraq, officials say
Ranking
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Iowa, Nebraska won't participate in U.S. food assistance program for kids this summer
- Brunson scores 38, Knicks snap Bucks’ seven-game winning streak with 129-122 victory
- After a brutal stretch, a remarkable thing is happening: Cryptocurrencies are surging
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Stock market today: Asian markets advance in holiday-thinned trading but Chinese shares slip
- A guesthouse blaze in Romania leaves 5 dead and others missing
- Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Proves He's the MVP After Giving Teammate Joe Kelly's Wife a Porsche
Recommendation
Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
Death toll rises to 18 in furnace explosion at Chinese-owned nickel plant in Indonesia
The echo of the bison (Classic)
Octopus DNA reveals Antarctic ice sheet is closer to collapse than previously thought: Unstable house of cards
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
Morocoin Trading Exchange: Opportunities and Risks of Inscription.
Fact-checking 'Ferrari' movie: What's accurate, what isn't in Adam Driver's racing film
Turkey steps up airstrikes against Kurdish groups in Syria and Iraq after 12 soldiers were killed