Is Someone Selling Your Personal Information!?

 https://rocketreach.co/person

This was the weirdest and absolutely random find when I was doing a digital footprint search on myself. I checked out my name in Google images, I found some odds and ends from another life, but what I didn't understand is why "Rocketreach" was posing as my linkedin.

After clicking I came to the conclusion that the profile picture I saw had not been my linkedin profile but a mock linkedin with less professional interfacing and more of a phonebook style operation. I figured at first that this was something I signed up for-I had actually not. 

This internet phonebook contains A LOT of people's information, people I know and don't know (obviously)-someone people who in fact I know would not want their name and face to appear together (in some cases), in others there were things like "BEST PERSONAL" email to contact this person and "BEST PROFESSIONAL". (screenshot incldued below)

I have a fair bit of information available on the internet, but its scattered strategically to play the parts I need it to play in the circles I need it to be played. What I don't need are students, parents, coworkers getting my phone number and using it for reasons beyond simply contacting me out of need or request as made by myself. 

I emailed Rocketreach, here was the correspondance between us-seems like they are trying to be polite and responsible about the situation but have no realized that when people found out they were being sold (essentially-as they put it), that folks may not be happy about that. (screenshots below)

I was wondering why I was getting so much spam messages recently. What these  companies that run as phone books don't realize is that they are making you more open for hackers; making your information available for marketers and essentially invading your privacy by taking information of yours without consent.

In a way Linkedin does this but they also have more barriers and checks in place to ensure that people looking you up are really looking you up and getting in contact for necessary reassons-through a platform-not your personal or professional phone number.

Just sharing-especially if you hate spam as much as I do.

On another note, couldn't help but think "BEST Stalker Tool" would have been a bit of an alarming post to have as a title :p