How Much of Your Personal Information Is Online? Cybersecurity Tips for Protecting Your Financial Life

A question we hear—and one I suspect many people have asked after searching their own name online—is:

“My name, address, date of birth, and phone number are available through Google and people-search websites. How do I get my personal information off the internet? And do services that promise to remove it actually work?”

We asked our cybersecurity experts. The response highlighted an important reality: completely removing your personal information from the internet can be much more difficult than it sounds.

Can You Remove Your Personal Information From the Internet?

People-search websites and data brokers collect information from many sources, including other data brokers, publicly available social media profiles, and government records. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) notes that many people-search sites allow consumers to opt out, either independently or through a paid removal service.

So, do data-removal services work?

Answer: They can help, but they aren’t a permanent eraser.

Even after an opt-out request is completed, information may remain available through public records, relatives’ records, or other databases. It can also reappear as databases are refreshed. The FTC specifically recommends periodically checking people-search websites and submitting new opt-out requests when necessary.

That means the better question may not be, “How do I make myself disappear from the internet?”

Instead, ask:

“How can I make myself a smaller and more difficult target?”

Focus on the Information You’re Sharing Today

Historic data breaches and the proliferation of data brokers mean consumers should assume that some personal information may already be circulating beyond their direct control. You can control how much additional information you make available.

Review the privacy and location settings on your phone, apps, browsers, and social media accounts. Limit unnecessary permissions and consider what your posts reveal about your daily activities.

A vacation post, for example, may seem harmless, but posting it in real time can announce that you’re away from home. The same caution applies to birthdays, family members, employers, locations, and other seemingly ordinary details. Individually, these details may not seem significant. Together, they can create a surprisingly detailed picture of your life.

Protect Your Financial Accounts, Too

For investors, cybersecurity deserves particular attention because compromised personal information can potentially be used to target financial accounts.

The SEC recommends using strong, unique passwords or passphrases, enabling multi-factor authentication, keeping devices and software updated, reviewing privacy settings, and activating account alerts where available.

Be particularly skeptical of unexpected emails, texts, and phone calls involving your finances. If someone claiming to represent your bank, investment adviser, or another financial institution asks you to click a link or provide sensitive information, independently contact the organization using a phone number or website you already know is legitimate.

A few habits can make a meaningful difference:

• Use unique passwords or passphrases and a reputable password manager.
• Enable multi-factor authentication on financial accounts and your primary email.
• Turn on alerts for logins, password changes, transfers, and changes to personal information.
• Keep phones, computers, browsers, and applications updated.
• Review app, browser, social media, and location-sharing permissions.
• Think twice before posting travel plans or other real-time location information publicly.
• Treat unexpected requests involving money or personal information with skepticism.

Cybersecurity doesn’t require eliminating every piece of information about yourself online. In many cases, that’s simply not realistic. The goal is to reduce unnecessary exposure, strengthen the accounts that matter most, and make yourself a more difficult target.

As part of your broader wealth planning conversations, consider asking your advisor what security features, fraud-prevention resources, or account protections may be available through your financial institutions.

Cybersecurity Scams to Watch for Right Now

Cybercriminals continue to make their tactics more convincing. Increasingly, the warning sign isn’t necessarily a poorly written email or an obviously suspicious link. A scam may incorporate legitimate-looking security notifications, familiar technology brands, phone calls, and even authentic system-generated messages.

Here are three tactics that have recently been flagged by cybersecurity professionals:

A real security code followed by a fake security call.

One particularly sophisticated tactic begins when a criminal creates an account and uses the target’s email address as the recovery email. This can trigger a genuine automated email containing a security code. The criminal then calls, pretending to be from Google security, points to the legitimate email as proof of an attempted break-in, and asks the individual to read the code over the phone. That code may ultimately help the criminal gain access to an email account and attempt password resets on other accounts.

The key lesson: a legitimate-looking security message doesn’t mean the person contacting you is legitimate. Never provide a security or verification code to someone who calls you unexpectedly. Instead, end the conversation and access the company directly through its official website or app.

Fake Apple security alerts that lead to scammers.

Another recently reported tactic uses a convincing Apple Pay or Apple ID warning on a mobile device. The message may appear to show an App Store purchase being processed, perform what looks like a Face ID check, and then warn that the user’s Apple ID has been locked. The alert directs the individual to a supposed support number, where scammers may request remote access to the device or payment for the fraudulent “purchase.”

The key lesson: don’t use a phone number provided by an unexpected pop-up. If you’re concerned about an account, close the message and access the company’s official app, website, or verified support channel independently.

Social media ads that install malicious apps.

Even an ordinary social media advertisement can pose a risk. Cybersecurity professionals have recently warned about paid Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok advertisements offering free TV streaming. The ads direct users to download an Android application outside of the standard app store. The malicious application can then generate fake banking login screens designed to steal credentials and may enable remote access to the device.

The key takeaway extends beyond streaming apps: be cautious about installing software through links in advertisements, texts, or emails. Download mobile applications directly through trusted app stores and verify the developer before installing them.

The Common Thread: Slow Down and Verify

These attacks work because they often manufacture urgency: Your account was compromised. Your Apple ID is locked. A purchase is being processed. Someone needs your verification code right now.

That urgency is exactly when it’s worth slowing down.

If you receive an unexpected request involving your identity, email, financial accounts, or money, don’t rely solely on the phone number, link, or contact information provided in the message. Instead, independently contact the organization through a trusted channel.

For investors, I would add one more principle: treat unexpected financial instructions differently from routine communications. If someone contacts you about moving money, changing account information, or providing sensitive credentials, independently verify the request before taking action.

Cybersecurity FAQs for Investors

1. Can I completely remove my personal information from Google and people-search websites?
   Usually not completely. You can request removal from many individual people-search websites, but information contained in public records or other databases may remain accessible. Information can also reappear over time.
2. Will Google, Apple or another technology company ever call me about a security problem?
   Usually, no. Be cautious of any unexpected call claiming that one of your accounts has been compromised. Even if the caller references a legitimate email or notification you just received, don’t provide passwords, verification codes, or other sensitive information. End the call and contact the company independently through its official website or app.
3. Are paid personal-data removal services worth it?
   They may be useful if you value the convenience of having a service submit and monitor opt-out requests on your behalf. However, they cannot guarantee that all personal information will permanently disappear. Before paying, the FTC recommends checking how many sites the service covers, whether it provides reporting, and how frequently it rescans for information that has reappeared.
4. What is one of the most important steps I can take to protect my investment accounts?
   Enable multi-factor authentication wherever available and use unique credentials for financial accounts. Account alerts can provide another important layer of awareness by notifying you about logins, transfers, or changes to personal information.
5. How can I recognize a financial phishing attempt?
   Be suspicious of unexpected messages asking you to click a link, open an attachment, or provide credentials or verification codes. Rather than responding directly, contact your financial institution through a verified phone number or website.
6. What should I do if I notice suspicious activity in an investment account?
   Contact your investment firm promptly. The SEC advises investors who discover unauthorized access to work with their firm on appropriate next steps, which may include closing a compromised account and moving assets to a new account.
7. What should I do if someone unexpectedly contacts me about moving money or accessing a financial account?
   Don’t act based solely on the incoming communication. Avoid clicking links or using phone numbers supplied in the message, and never share passwords or authentication codes. Independently contact the financial institution or your financial advisor using contact information you already trust and verify the request before taking action.

Cybersecurity Is Part of Protecting Your Financial Life

Cybersecurity isn’t about becoming invisible online or living in fear of every email, phone call, or text. It’s about developing habits that make it harder for someone to use your information against you.

That means reducing unnecessary digital exposure, strengthening important accounts, recognizing common fraud tactics, and taking an extra moment to verify something when it doesn’t feel right.

Your financial advisor can be a valuable resource when something in your financial life raises a red flag. If you receive an unusual request involving an account, transaction, or financial information, reaching out to a trusted contact can give you another chance to verify what’s happening before you act.

At Mission Wealth, protecting our clients’ financial well-being extends beyond investment and planning conversations. We believe education, awareness, and thoughtful safeguards are key to helping families protect what they’ve worked to build.

For additional information, explore the FTC’s resources on protecting your privacy online and people-search websites, as well as the SEC’s Investor.gov resources for protecting online investment accounts.