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CB Phishing Locate Family phishing and extortion
Locate Family

Locate Family review: phishing and extortion 45

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Author of the review
1:50 pm EDT
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Locatefamily.com is a website that publishes users personally identifiable information in one consolidated place. They publish the info without users consent - afterwards, they provide you with the option to OPT OUT once you discover it's there.

However, locatefamily.com will refuse to remove any information from their site unless the user provides them with more official records of their sensitive data such as photos, drivers licences, and utility bills. (Chances are they take these photos and sell your licence on the dark web).

To require a user to provide this type of data in order to opt out of a service they never signed up for is both phishing and extortion. Users have no legal obligation to provide copies of drivers licences, photos, utility bills, social security cards, when requesting the removal of their personally identifiable information from their website.

A company who publishes your PII on their website with the intent of collecting even more sensitive PII is extorting users and all companies providing this website with services should consider this a phishing tactic.

USERS HAVE NO LEGAL OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE VERIFICATION DOCUMENTS and/or ADDITIONAL PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION TO WEBSITES WHO OPT IN USERS WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT!

The company is unknown and the website is virtually unreachable. Cloudflare is their hosting provider and Tucows provides them with domain registration protection.

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45 comments
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Kem12
US
Jun 25, 2018 10:13 am EDT

THEY ARE A BAND OF FRAUDER. PLEASE BE AWARE AND DENOUNCE TO CANADA EMBASSY OF YOUR COUNTRY. THEY SEEME TO STAY THERE
Check online the site locatefamily.com amd verify that they are in Toronto Ontario Canada
Phone numbers there is this number +1.[protected]
Location Canada, Toronto, 96 Mowat Ave
Postal code M6K 3K1
PLEASE DENOUNCE THIS FRAUDER COMPANY TO THE PRIVACY AUTHORITY

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Call the FTA
US
Nov 13, 2018 11:50 am EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more
Replying to comment of Kem12

The website is hosted in Canada but the company is likely American.

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Kem12
US
Jun 25, 2018 10:19 am EDT

Pay attention to this company! They extort your informations and this is an abuse! When you contact them, they ask your oersonal cards or driving license or similar and this is a real attempt to fraud you.
Whoever can read this, check your name if is in this list and denounce to your's country privacy Authority.
Contact them and you will check that they cannot publish your personal informations and refuse to delete only with your personal documents...
More than a scam...

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Windward
US
Jul 07, 2018 4:07 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Here is how you find them:

BBB Upstate New York has the file--they apparently left without a forwarding address--some research shows

665 Third Street #207
San Francisco, CA 94107

Regardless of your experience with this company please contact your congressperson and senator-- this nonsense has to stop

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EU citizen
DE
Aug 14, 2018 6:28 am EDT

WARNING to all people listed in locatefamily.com without consent: Never start the removal process if there is just less information about you in the portal. Because you have to legitimize yourself with additional personal data. They tell you in the end that the removal process could not be finished successfully due to "data protection to avoid data abuse". BUT ... these gangsters use exactly these (new and correct) data to complement your online profile (again without permission)! As being a citizen of the EU I took legal action using officials from new GDPR. Result was that they can not identify the websites owner and therefore I have to live with having all my personal data in public. So it´s all just for the show but not to protect personal rights! Get these guys and eliminate this fraud platform!

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Eu-France
FR
Aug 19, 2018 3:59 am EDT
Replying to comment of EU citizen

I am EU citizen and on this list as well. I don't want to give them my documents in order to be removed from this site. There must be a way we can all get up and sue this company for violation of privacy. It's not possible that they are above all international laws.

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Ornnnn
TH
Aug 21, 2018 9:28 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Me, too. I'm on it and willing to removal but still can't...

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Bob55
US
Aug 24, 2018 6:12 am EDT

Never ever send them your personal information / ID to get your information removed! Its funny that a crap service like this publishing hundred thousands of Private Records without the Users Consent try to hide behind Tucows / Cloudflare Privacy Protection..!

To remove your data, write an complaint to the Webhost of them Cronomagic Canada Inc. / cronomagic.com

Cheers, Bob

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Benbenben
US
Sep 17, 2018 2:30 pm EDT

OMG I am glad I found your blog before submitting an Identification to them. How can I report this site?

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Hamid Karabini
US
Oct 14, 2018 10:05 am EDT

Section 1 article 12 paragraph 6 of the GDPR gives them the right to ask for ID.

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shiningcabinet007
US
Mar 07, 2019 9:55 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

honey, before we get to the ID, who gives them the rights to display our data at the first place? did they give us their ID? vicious human feaces they are. their mother should've thrown them to the lake the moment they were born. Yes, that is how much pain the caused me.

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Hamid Karabini
US
Oct 14, 2018 10:06 am EDT

I gave them a scan of a junk mail label and they removed my information. This is just an online directory like many others.

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jenny_1
US
Nov 15, 2018 10:16 pm EST

Did it really work? So basically you just gave them fake ID scan and fake email address too?

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Kiwi Lorange
US
Dec 26, 2018 12:50 pm EST

Hi here,

I created an application that sends emails (in an endless loop) to asks locatefamily.com to delete my personal informations.

If you want it, I can give it to you all with the source code to make sure that it doesn't contain anything malicious code for you, but only for locatefamily.com :D

If interested, contact me.

Kiwi.

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erbazz
NL
Mar 03, 2019 8:40 am EST

I m intressted creating this application to spam them. Can you help with it?

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Dave Luci.
AU
Jul 25, 2019 8:14 am EDT
Replying to comment of erbazz

https://softcorner.net/en/e-mail-looper/

Enjoy :)

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Dave Luci.
AU
Jul 26, 2019 4:16 am EDT
Replying to comment of erbazz

EMail tool : http://bit.ly/2MewuGt
Enjoy :)

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waqarzz
US
Jan 20, 2019 12:38 am EST

please report to easydns.com company who is the hosting company of locatefamily.com

locatefamily is a scam and no way you can remove your data by simply ask them.

use authorities as well to find out who is behind them and how they get this data and from where.

usually theses people hack servers of big data companies and then uses ways to earn money from that leaked data

use probably may seen google ads on them and good seo of this web, they are earning good money bro using your personal data.. without caring that any one on internet can abuse using this personal data.. so report them immediately..

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HansWagner
US
Feb 05, 2019 9:11 pm EST

im also in and they will collect your copy of an id card and the they will NOT remove your data, no, they sell your passport copy on darknet. Report them also to google, so nobody can foud them and your data!

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HansWagner
US
Feb 05, 2019 9:19 pm EST

I bought help from the darknet now to shut down the site and punsh these criminals.

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MistaMoose
US
Feb 10, 2019 8:47 am EST
Replying to comment of HansWagner

Any updates from the dark side?

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erbazz
NL
Mar 03, 2019 8:32 am EST

The number of the owner see this link:https://efraudsters.com/us/fraudsters/4165385457/

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shiningcabinet007
US
Mar 07, 2019 9:48 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I am one of the victim, and i refused to give my ID, how is it my obligation at the first place for you to display my private details to the world without my consent and for me to have it removed is to give more personal details? why dont you ask me to give me 100K as well? it all seems LOGICAL to you. You have no idea the pain and issue that you caused me because of this.

I have a deal to make. For the owner to come forward and show that you and your entire family data are on the website. Show us your balls are as big as your vicious intend. Own up to it. I would drop my request if you do this. Until then, each and every second of my waking moment, I condemn you, and your BAD karma will keep on pilling up. Trust me and remember that, all of the bad things that will come to your way, that it is because of this. Yes.

Let us create Twitter hastag to remove this scammer website? #shutlocatefamilydotcom

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Lee Levine
US
Apr 21, 2019 2:46 pm EDT

They have failed to remove my information despite repeated complaints including to the BBB.I am told they are operating from overseas .They want more information they can steal .They might be Terrorist trying to obtain as much information as possible .They need to be stopped .

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opseclab
US
May 09, 2019 6:47 pm EDT

Their removal page page (https://www.locatefamily.com/removal2.html) is a complete joke. They follow up with something to the effect of "Send us some ID." WTF is wrong with these people that run that site?! How are they still operating?!

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Perfect Shadow
Quiet Shadow, US
Jan 13, 2022 5:50 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more
Replying to comment of opseclab

Because governments don’t care. All the govs and their agencies ie. fbi cia nsa and other countries similar agencies are there to screw us the law abiding citizens over with the laws they created to screw us over. So… only one true way to do something about this and majority of people are chicken 💩 to actually do it… but one thing to do is to find the people responsible for this and beat their butts silly. Then take all their stuff and money and beat their butts silly some more. That’s the only way to make evil stop.

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majid351
MY
Jul 11, 2019 1:01 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I received a call from an [censored] Indian tele-marketers that found my numbers from this website. As one of you guys advised, I emailed Conoromagic and threatened them to lodge a complaint against them in Australia. We should all do this against their host and internet provider because you cannot negotiate with a theft to stop stealing from you but you can force the service provider for that theft to act on your behalf.

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majid351
MY
Jul 11, 2019 1:04 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

When they ask for our ID, it seems like someone stole your safety box and for returning it, he asks for the opening code. LOL. Don't be silly to upload your docs.

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ShockedinFlorida
US
Jul 11, 2019 4:14 pm EDT

Beware this company...DO NOT create a log in or send them any personal information! Their terms of agreement to create a log in to request that they remove your personal information includes repetitive statements where you authorize them to use, sell and distribute the very information you are requesting they remove. I contacted them by email and they requested additional personal information that would further empower them to sell or perpetuate fraudulent activity with your information. GIVE THEM NOTHING! The scary thing is that this site has the most comprehensive collection of dangerous personal information I have found. Additional companies who engage in the same practices are Radaris, USA People search (they block your IP address after you make 1 removal request and you have to make a separate request for each listing, they told me I had to wait 24-48 hours before I could try again), Bizpedia, Who is and MyHeritage which appears not to have any mechanism to opt out.

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uguen
CR
Jul 16, 2019 4:10 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

UGUEN | Find people whose family name is UGUEN at locatefamily ...
https://www.locatefamily.com › U › UGUEN
Traduire cette page
25 avr. 2018 - List of people from around the world whose last name is UGUEN. ...
15. Flag of Costa Rica : Pierre Yves Uguen lives in Flamingo Costa Rica ...

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Na4715
US
Jul 19, 2019 4:51 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

This website has complaint everywhere:

Better Business Bureau
https://www.bbb.org/us/ny/buffalo/profile/employment-background-check/locatefamilycom-0041-235982924
https://www.bbb.org/ca/on/toronto/profile/investigator/locate-family-0107-1372719

scam report
https:///link removed/

Do not submit any personal information to this website because they lie about removing your information.

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Na4715
US
Jul 19, 2019 4:54 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more
Replying to comment of Na4715

They removed a link to a legitimate complaint at scam report.

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Thomas Smith Jr
US
Jul 22, 2019 6:42 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

WHOIS Source: ARIN
IP Address: 204.19.19.66
Country: caCanada
Network Name: NEWLINK
Owner Name: Newlink Telecommunications
CIDR: 204.19.18.0/23
From IP: 204.19.18.0
To IP: 204.19.19.255
Allocated: Yes
Contact Name: Newlink Telecommunications
Address: 141 Boulevard St. John, Pointe-Claire
Email: jrhay@haya.qc.ca
Abuse Email: jrhay@haya.qc.ca
Phone: +[protected]

This is their abuse contact / hoster/host provider possible owner of the site.

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Thomas Smith Jr
US
Jul 22, 2019 6:44 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

The site protected the email it is: jrhay[at]haya.qc.ca

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Thomas Smith Jr
US
Jul 22, 2019 6:58 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

https://rdpguard.com/free-whois.aspx?ip=204.19.19.66

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Dave Luci.
AU
Jul 25, 2019 8:13 am EDT

Hello everyone,

After more than 600 emails, I finally got the attention of this company.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the total removal of my data from their site, but only part of it.

The tool that has allowed me to put them the misery is the Email Looper Lite, available at the following address:

https://softcorner.net/en/e-mail-looper/

Attention, if you use this tool with your personal email, Locate Family may be marked it as junk.

As recommended on the site of the application, create a secondary email address.

For more info, don't hesitate to contact the developers of this app.

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jikfon
US
Dec 24, 2019 2:20 am EST

info@locatefamily.com - feel free to email them as many times as you want. It's an automated service but maybe someone will see.

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jikfon
US
Dec 24, 2019 2:20 am EST

info @ locatefamily.com is the email.

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Tina Faso
US
Mar 07, 2020 5:31 pm EST

I followed all necessary steps on their website to opt out and to remove a "Public" message 5 days ago. Nothing has been done. I'm being stalked and harassed by somebody. Identity theft and I must have this removed. Do you have any more resources I can use. I never gave them approval to use my name or information.
Thank you,
tinafasso@yahoo.com

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KerryG79
US
Dec 09, 2021 1:58 pm EST

Sooo i Just happened upon this site locatefamily.com by looking into Ancestry.com, their ads are on Google, and everywhere it seems. They have my DEAD grand fathers information displayed, address, phone number etc. and i did try to remove it but did not go further when they requested my information.

My father was recently the victim of another SCAM and by the time he realized what was happening was out of $9800 for a boat that was NEVER DELIVERED. SAD that there are people are out there SCAMMING SENIORS out of their hard earned money and no one is willing to assist, even after calling the BANKS that were involved, filling out the IC3 from for the FBI, Contacting Law Enforcement etc. Wish i knew a ethical hacker that could help lol!

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Perfect Shadow
Quiet Shadow, US
Jan 13, 2022 5:44 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Unfortunately the best way is the quality time with them… track them, find them, and beat the living hell out of them. Break their fingers and smash their faces in and take all their money and belongings that you can carry. This is the only way people like them can understand and learn from.

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2008 i voted
US
Oct 09, 2022 4:15 pm EDT

all these messeges do not relate with area code 651.298.0679 probation with home breath alyzers under word CANADA THEN BLOW WITH A INCLUDED INSURRANCE CHRISTIE LATRAILLES SSI 54.00

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Saba Shaukat
US
Jan 04, 2023 9:30 am EST

Locate my family.com based out of Buffalo New York. It’s a scamming site collecting user information. Please report, report, report so they can be shut down!

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dancbooper
US
Aug 17, 2023 3:33 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

File a complaint with the CPPA - https://cppa.ca.gov/webapplications/complaint

File a complaint with the CA OAG - https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company

File a complaint with the OAG or Consumer Privacy department for another state - https://pro.bloomberglaw.com/brief/state-privacy-legislation-tracker/

File a complaint with their domain registrar - https://support.namecheap.com/index.php?/Tickets/Submit/RenderForm/219 + abuse@namecheap.com (https://www.namecheap.com/support/knowledgebase/article.aspx/9196/5/how-and-where-can-i-file-abuse-complaints/)

File a complaint with their web host - https://abuse.cloudflare.com/

File a complaint with the data broker's (https://privacyrights.org/data-brokers/locatefamilycom) congress representative - https://higgins.house.gov/contact/

File a complaint with the data broker's - https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/timothy-m-kennedy/contact

File a complaint with the data broker's mayor - https://www.buffalony.gov/490/Mayor

File a complaint with the FTC - https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

File an FCC complaint - https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=38824

File a BBB complaint - https://www.bbb.org/us/ny/buffalo/profile/employment-background-check/locatefamilycom-0041-235982924

Contact the EFF - https://www.eff.org/about/contact

Contact CCPA lawyers - https://calawyers.org/section/privacy-law/committees/

Share the above information with Dutch DPA: https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/en/contact (https://www.twobirds.com/en/insights/2021/netherlands/finding-locatefamily-com-dutch-dpa-imposes-525000-euro-fine-for-not-having-a-gdpr-representative)

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reddit2therescue
washington dc, US
Sep 15, 2023 7:56 pm EDT
Replying to comment of dancbooper

Also their host Linode: https://www.reddit.com/r/phishing/comments/cj4dr9/comment/jwm8gpc/

  1. Locate Family Contacts

  2. Locate Family emails
  3. Locate Family address
    350 Main Street, Buffalo, New York, 14202, United States
  4. Locate Family social media
  5. Michael
    Checked and verified by Michael This contact information is personally checked and verified by the ComplaintsBoard representative. Learn more
    Nov 28, 2024
  6. View all Locate Family contacts
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Locate Family is ranked 1 among 3 companies in the Phishing category