How to Reduce Robocalls by Cleaning Up Your Online Footprint

Ever wonder how robocallers and spam texters got your number in the first place? Chances are, your personal information — your name, phone number, home address, and even the names of your relatives — is sitting on websites you’ve never heard of, being bought and sold without your knowledge. In this episode of Tech Talk, Refresh Computers technician Adam Littlefield and host Greg Rhodes walk through exactly how this happens and what you can do right now to start taking back your privacy. Plus, they cover Refresh Computers’ trade-in program, iPhone 18 rumors, and a step-by-step checklist for wiping your phone before you get rid of it.

Listen to the Episode

Your Personal Information Is Already Out There

Here’s a simple experiment: open Google (or Bing, or Yahoo) and type in your full name. You’ll likely find results from websites you’ve never signed up for — sites that list your home address, phone number, age, and even a map to your front door. These aren’t shady underground databases. They’re legal, publicly accessible websites called data broker sites.

Some of the biggest names include Spokeo, Whitepages, and BeenVerified, but there are dozens more. These companies scrape your information from public records, old online accounts, store loyalty programs, and other companies that package up consumer data and sell it in bulk. Then they sell it to each other — over and over again in an endless loop.

Your phone number is constantly being sold in data blocks between brokers. That’s exactly why you keep getting robocalls and spam texts — and why they never seem to stop.

Adam shared a personal story from a previous job where a stranger in a support chat started quoting his high school information — graduation class, school slogan, and more — all found through a simple online search. It was unsettling enough to prompt him to take action and start cleaning up his digital footprint.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

Most of us figure that nobody is looking for our information, and for everyday life, that’s usually true. But all it takes is one person — a scammer, a con artist, or worse — to search for your details and suddenly they’re armed with far more information than a typical spam caller. This is how targeted scams work, including the notorious “grandparent scam” where someone calls pretending to be a family member in trouble. They got that phone number and those family names from publicly available data.

In the worst cases, this kind of accessible personal data can fuel identity theft and even stalking.

How to Start Removing Your Information

The good news is you have the right to request that much of this information be taken down. Here’s how to get started:

• Search for yourself. Look up your name, email address, and phone number on Google and on major data broker sites like Spokeo, Whitepages, and BeenVerified.
• Request removal. If you find a listing, most of these sites have an opt-out or removal request process. Submit it and keep a record of which sites you’ve contacted.
• Check your account privacy settings. Look for options like “Do not sell my info” or “Privacy” toggles within any accounts you have. Recent law changes are making these options more common.
• Check back periodically. Data can slowly repopulate over time, so revisit these sites once or twice a year. Also, if a site updates its terms of service and you re-accept, you may be re-opting in to data sharing without realizing it.

Two Free Tools You Should Turn On Right Now

• DoNotCall.gov — This is the official federal Do Not Call Registry. Register your phone number (and your family members’ numbers) to cut down on legitimate telemarketing calls. Adam says it worked beautifully for him.
• Google’s “Results About You” — If you use Google, search for this tool and switch it on. It alerts you when your contact information shows up in search results and helps you request removals directly.

Terms of service agreements often include clauses that allow companies to sell your information to third parties. Most of us scroll right past them — and that’s exactly what data brokers are counting on.

Refresh Computers’ Trade-In Program: Upgrade to Windows 11

Windows 10 lost support in October 2025, and while extended security updates were offered for a time, those older systems are really starting to show their age. Many are still running mechanical hard drives and simply can’t keep up anymore.

Refresh Computers is currently running a trade-in program to help you make the switch to Windows 11. Bring your old laptop or desktop into the store in Longwood, and the team will assess it and offer credit toward the purchase of a new system. Windows 11 computers start at around $300 — and for most people doing email, web browsing, and basic documents, that’s all you’ll ever need.

When you trade in a device at Refresh Computers, your personal data is completely wiped using a DOD-grade wipe process. Your photos, passwords, and accounts are gone for good — so you don’t have to worry about where that old computer ends up.

iPhone 18 Rumors: What’s Coming from Apple?

Apple’s event is expected around September 9th, and while nothing is official yet, here’s what the rumor mill is churning out:

• iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected, with possible price increases due to ongoing hardware shortages.
• A folding iPhone may finally arrive — Apple’s first ever. Interestingly, it’s rumored to use Samsung-manufactured folding screen technology.
• Siri’s AI overhaul is the big question mark. Apple talked it up heavily before the iPhone 17 but never delivered, even having to issue refunds. This time around, there’s been radio silence — which could mean a big surprise at the event or a quiet shelving of the project.

Adam’s honest advice? If your current phone works fine, you don’t need to upgrade. Apple continues to support older models with software updates, typically for about six years. If your battery still lasts through the day and your apps still run, save your money. And if you do need to upgrade, consider buying a previous-generation model like the iPhone 16 or 17 — they’re more affordable, readily available, and free of those early software bugs that brand-new releases tend to have.

What to Do Before You Get Rid of Your Old Phone

Whether you’re trading in, selling, or recycling your phone, follow this checklist to make sure your personal data doesn’t go with it:

• Back up your phone first. Use iCloud for Apple devices or Google Drive for Android. Save your photos, texts, app data, and passwords. Once you wipe the phone, that data is gone forever.
• Sign out of your major accounts. On iPhone, sign out of your Apple account and turn off Find My iPhone — skipping this locks the next owner out. On Android, remove your Google account from the device.
• Do a full factory reset. On iPhone: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings. On Android: Settings → Reset → Factory Data Reset.
• Remove your SIM card. Your SIM card ties to your phone plan. If someone puts it in another phone, they could receive your text messages.
• Remove any microSD card. Older Android phones with expandable storage may have a memory card that doesn’t get wiped during a factory reset. Take it out.

Adam sees it all the time: recycled phones and laptops that still have SIM cards, memory cards, and personal data on them. Don’t let yours be one of them.

Take Control of Your Privacy Today

Your personal information is more exposed than you probably realize — and it’s powering the robocalls, spam texts, and scam attempts that flood your phone every day. The good news is that you can fight back with a few simple steps: search for yourself online, submit removal requests to data brokers, register at DoNotCall.gov, and turn on Google’s “Results About You” alerts.

Whether you need help cleaning up an old device, upgrading to a Windows 11 system through the trade-in program, or just want trustworthy tech advice, Refresh Computers is here for you. Visit the store at 820 E. State Road 434 in Longwood (Monday–Saturday, 9 AM–7 PM), call the free tech support hotline at 407-478-8200, or head to refreshcomputers.net for more resources. Share this episode with someone who’s tired of spam calls — it might be the push they need to start taking their privacy back.