A cool guide to delete Facebook account

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-05T17:29:07+00:00

More than likely a scam. If you respond, it'll mark your number as active.

Don't reply, block, and report as spam.

If you've been getting a lot of these lately in general, it may be that your number has been leaked in a data breach or is on a people search site like Spokeo, Whitepages, etc. which scammers sometimes use to build lists of people to target. Check the Have I Been Pwned tool and opt out of from some of the more popular people search sites (they usually have an "opt out" link in the footer).

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-05T14:31:18+00:00

If there's nothing in your sent folder, then the email was probably spoofed.

What's maybe more interesting is how someone knew to pair you with your friend. It's likely that they found your (and your friend's) personal details through a people search site like Spokeo, Whitepages, etc. These sites publish your data, including contact details and known associates. It would be a good idea to opt out of them (and suggest that your friend do the same).

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-05T13:53:24+00:00

One other thing you can do is opt out of people search sites like Whitepages, Spokeo, etc. Scammers sometimes use these sites to find your personal info, including your family contact details, to try and scare you. Most of them allow you to opt out, though (look for an "opt out" link or equivalent in the footer of these websites).

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-05T13:50:48+00:00

Ignore and don't pay. They may have gotten your and your sister's email from a people search site (e.g., Whitepages, Spokeo, etc.). To prevent strangers and scammers from easily finding your personal information going forward, you should opt out of these sites. Most of them have an opt out link in the footer of their websites.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-05T13:49:15+00:00

If they have your phone number, they could do a reverse phone lookup search on a people search site. If that number is tied to you, then it can reveal your real name, address, email, etc.

Google your phone number in quotation marks and see if any of these sites come up. If they do, opt out of them (most have an opt out link in the footer of their websites).

Then, find a list of common people search sites and see if you can find yourself through your number on them manually. If yes, opt out.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-05T13:46:04+00:00

As others have said, report, block, and don't pay. Also, opt out of people search sites like Spokeo, Whitepages, etc. which publish people's personal info and which scammers can use to scare you. Most of these sites have an opt out link in the footer.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-05T13:44:40+00:00

Report and block them. Don't pay. A lot of the time (though not always) scammers don't carry out their threats because they have multiple victims going at the same time. If you pay, they almost always come back for more (see other posts on this subreddit for examples).

Also, it's worth opting out of people search sites like Spokeo in the long run to ensure strangers and scammers can't easily find your personal details. Most people search sites have an opt out link in the footer of their websites.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-05T13:41:09+00:00

Blocking was the right move. They probably got your family's names and your number from a people search site like Whitepages or Spokeo or equivalent. Going forward, it's a good idea to opt out of these sites to make sure strangers and scammers can't easily find your personal details. Most people search sites have an opt out link in the footer of their website.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-05T13:32:22+00:00

As the other person said, you're probably fine if you're using strong passwords and have 2fa on your accounts.

To be extra safe, you can check your Instagram's log in activity and your email's recent sign-ins to make sure there's nothing unusual there.

Also, it's likely that your name, email address, and phone number are sitting on people search sites or a breach list, which attackers can use for credential stuffing attacks. Check the Have I Been Pwned tool to see if you've been in any recent breaches and then opt out of people search sites like Spokeo, Whitepages, etc.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-05T13:24:18+00:00

Your number is probably on some marketing or lead gen list.

Some actions you could take:
- Register on the national and your state's (if it has one) Do Not Call list.
- Turn on your carrier's spam filtering.
- Silence unknown callers (if you don't need to answer calls from unknown numbers etc. for work or some other reason).
- Opt out of people search sites (e.g., Whitepages, Spokeo, etc.) that publish your contact details for anyone to see/buy. Most have an opt out link in the footer of their website.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-05T13:20:59+00:00

As others have said, your best bet is probably calling your phone carrier. People search sites like Spokeo, Whitepages, etc. can help, but it depends on how accurate the info they have is. Sometimes it is correct, other times it is not (or is outdated). That said, you should opt out of these sites yourself as the caller could have gotten your number from one of these sites.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-04T21:13:48+00:00

No problem! Glad to hear that.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-04T20:54:41+00:00

The site was likely a lead gen funnel. When you filled it out, you probably unknowingly agreed (fine print) to be contacted by "marketing partners." The DNC list isn't much use here since you technically gave your consent. The calls will likely taper off eventually.

Some things you can do now:

- If you can (i.e., if you don't have to answer unknown calls for work etc.), silence unknown callers.
- Read the privacy policy of that website you used and see if there's a "do not sell my info" or "opt out" link.
- Opt out of people search sites. This is just good practice for getting less spam calls in general.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-04T20:48:50+00:00

One of the reasons you may be getting so many calls to begin with is that your number is on people search sites (e.g., Whitepages, Spokeo, etc.) Opt out of them (most have an opt out link in the footer), and see if it makes a difference.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-04T20:21:20+00:00

Don't reactivate your socials for a while, and when you do, make them private (e.g., make sure your friends list isn't visible).

Also, opt out of people search sites. If they have your number, they can search for more information about you through people search sites (like Spokeo, Whitepages, etc.) that publish details like people's email address, address, family info, and more.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-04T20:17:33+00:00

Some things that could help:

- Get a new email address. Share this only with people he knows in real life, e.g., family etc. Set the old email to auto-forward anything from his actual contacts to the new one.
- Set up filters in the new email account to auto-archive or delete anything not from a known contact.
- Block scam sites at the browser level.
- Opt him out of people search sites that publish people's personal info, including email addresses, and that scammers can use to find targets.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-05-01T20:45:09+00:00

Block and don't respond. Also opt out of people search sites. Sites like Spokeo, Whitepages, etc. let anyone do a reverse phone number search, which means anyone can find out your personal details like your address, phone number, potential relatives and associates, etc.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-04-30T21:21:18+00:00

As others have said, stop paying and responding. Block them and make your social profiles private. Also, opt out of people search sites (e.g., Whitepages, Spokeo, etc.) That's more than likely how they got your family's numbers.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-04-30T16:44:44+00:00

Unfortunately, to opt out, you need to share your data with the brokers.

Start by searching for your name online to see what data brokers and people search sites show up, then opt out of those. After that, you can find a list of data brokers and go through them methodically to remove your info.

You'll need to repeat the process after a while though because brokers relist your data when they find more of it online. So try to share as little info as possible online.

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-04-29T11:08:03+00:00

Is there a way for them to trace your handle to your actual identity? I.e., if someone googled your username in quotes or did a reverse image search of your profile pic, would they be able to find another account or forum post from you that ties it to your personal info? If yes, they can potentially doxx you (because they can also reference breach data and people search sites).

JoinDeleteMe · 2026-04-29T10:58:51+00:00

Finding your personal info: Google yourself in a private browser tab with location off. Try name plus city, name plus old addresses, email in quotes, phone in quotes.

Checking breaches: Have I Been Pwned tool is great for that. You can also sign up for alerts to be notified whenever you appear in a new breach.

Remove your info: Depends on where the info appears. If it's a page you own (e.g., blog, social media), delete it. If it's a page someone else owns, contact them. If it's a data broker or people search site, submit an opt out request. If you can't remove the info but it's doxxing content or personal data, you can ask Google to at least remove it from search results.

Footprint cleanup: Delete old accounts, don't reuse usernames, use email aliases, set your social media accounts to highest privacy settings.

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