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I finally got my old phone number removed from a dozen sites using a simple script
After my number got leaked in a breach last year, I kept getting spam calls. I found a Python script on GitHub called 'Phone Number Scrubber' that checks common data broker sites. It took about 3 hours to run, but it found my number on 12 different people-search sites. I had to manually submit removal requests to each one, but the script gave me all the direct links. A month later, the spam calls dropped from like 10 a day to maybe 2. Has anyone else tried automating data removal like this, or found a better method?
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reese_lopez496mo ago
My buddy had a similar problem with his address popping up everywhere. He used a different script that checked for his info on those background check sites. It was a real pain because some sites made him fax removal forms, believe it or not. The whole process took him a solid weekend to finish. He said it cut down on the weird mail he was getting, though. I should probably look into that script you mentioned for my own number.
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the_holly6mo ago
The real problem is these sites just relist your info after a few months. I ran a similar script last fall and had to do the whole removal process again this spring. It feels like a game you can't actually win.
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