Our weekly hack for those in the field doing the work & digging up critical intel.
The ability to uncover information on the internet is the primary skill of an online investigator. There are hundreds of thousands of surface, deep, and dark websites, but which are most pertinent to your unique case? Do you know how to utilize Google to its full potential? With new social media platforms coming online at a rapid pace, capturing leads and evidence in social media networks is more complex than ever. Do you know the latest tools of the trade?
Hg’s OSINT Tips of the week provides you with the latest intel how to be most effective in our tradecraft. We are always looking for new tools, so don’t hesitate to let us know if you have one you’d like reviewed in a future post!
Enjoy!
This week, we provide a couple of valuable resources for opting out and public records. These platforms can be valuable for investigative activity—uncovering all kinds of valuable intel. Come on, it’s time to dig in.
OPT OUT & PII: publicdatausa.com
Public Data USA is a people search engine that also has local and federal public records. The website can be searched by name or address (displayed at no cost). Public record information includes for purchase property registration, vehicles, realtors, classmates, registered voters, and more. The lack of terms and conditions/privacy policy on publicdatausa.com (and 20+ Better Business Bureau complaints) makes this website questionable. To opt out (www.publicdatausa.com/optout.php), search and select the information that you want removed, input name, email, number and opt-out reason. Removal takes 3-5 business days.
OPT OUT & PII: unmask.com
A people-search website, UnMask.com makes it easier to locate an individual’s personal information. Based on internet archive captures, searches within UnMask.com can be performed by name and city and/or state of residence. Once a search is conducted, a list of profiles is aggregated. Profiles include such information as age, name, current and former locations, and relatives. Once the correct profile(s) is located, an opt-out request to remove the information can be started. Simply search the exact information found on the profile(s) in UnMask.com’s opt-out page (unmask.com/opt-out/). Select Delete Record, input the requested information, and select submit. The profile should be removed within a week.
Have an OSINT tip for us? Contact us, and we will consider reviewing it in future posts!
Like what you’re reading? Check out Hg’s monthly webinars!
Throughout the year, Hetherington Group offers monthly live webinars on current investigative tactics involving social networks, search engines, due diligence, the dark web, and other related topics. Participants should have some basic experience of the topic, as all programs are offered at an intermediate level, unless otherwise noted.
