Someone with the same or a similar name can turn up in a search for you. Your report marks how sure we are that each result is yours. Check anything marked “Not yet confirmed” against what you know before acting on it.
Why it happens
People-search sites build profiles by matching names, and they often get it wrong. They merge two people with the same name, or list a relative at your address. Common names make this more likely.
We search from the email addresses and phone numbers you confirmed, and we leave out listings that don’t match them. Some results still can’t be tied to you for certain, so we say how sure we are instead of hiding them.
How to tell
Look at the details around the result in your report:
- Age and city. Do they match yours, now or in the past?
- Relatives. Are the people listed your family?
- Phone and email. A result that shows a contact detail you confirmed is almost certainly you.
- The page itself. Open the screenshot or saved copy to see everything the site showed.
What to do
- It’s you: treat it like any other result and follow the fix.
- It isn’t you: leave it. You don’t need to opt out of a listing about someone else, and some sites won’t let you.
- You can’t tell: adding past names, cities and usernames under Search hints helps us tell next time. See Adding contact details and past names.
A listing about a namesake that shows your address or phone number is still about you. Opt out of it.