Broker profile
TruePeopleSearch
A free US people-search and reverse-lookup service. The current California data-broker registry names the operator: Free Data Services, LLC, filing as TruePeopleSearch.com from San Francisco - consistent with the BBB's San Francisco PMB listing, business name dated June 14, 2008. A March 2024 KrebsOnSecurity investigation documented a similarly-named clone network (TruePeopleSearch.net, FastPeopleSearch.io) run from China behind fabricated executive personas; that is a separate operation, and no source ties this domain to it. BBB rates the company B (not accredited, 256 complaints in 3 years).
TruePeopleSearch overview
At a glance
- Data published
- Extensive
- Re-listing frequency
- Recurring
- Complaint record
- Mixed
- Opt-out friction
- Moderate
- Operator opacity
- Obscured
- Prior data incidents
- None documented
Each broker is scored 1 to 4 across the six dimensions above; higher means more exposure, and the overall gauge is their average.
What each dimension means
- Data published: how much and how sensitive the personal data they put out.
- Re-listing frequency: how quickly you reappear after opting out.
- Complaint record: volume and pattern of complaints across BBB, Trustpilot, and Sitejabber; no findable review presence counts against the broker.
- Opt-out friction: how hard the removal process is to complete.
- Operator opacity: how hidden the operating company and its principals are.
- Prior data incidents: history of breaches or leaks of the data they hold.
- Category
People search · free reverse lookup
- Operating entity
Free Data Services, LLC (per CPPA registry filing)
- BBB file date
Jun 14, 2008
- 2024 deletion requests
0 reported to the CPPA (as filed)
- Registry address
San Francisco, CA
- Lookalike alert
TruePeopleSearch.net is an unrelated China-run clone
- BBB rating
B
- BBB complaints (3yr)
256
- FCRA covered?
No
Background
Background
TruePeopleSearch markets itself as a free US people-search service. The BBB file dates the business name to June 14, 2008, and the current California data-broker registry filing names Free Data Services, LLC (dba TruePeopleSearch.com) of San Francisco as the operator. A March 2024 KrebsOnSecurity investigation documented a clone network - TruePeopleSearch.net, FastPeopleSearch.io, CocoFinder and others - that appeared around 2020, registered through Alibaba Cloud in Beijing, imitating this site's brand. No reporting ties TruePeopleSearch.com itself to that operation.
- CPPA filing
Free Data Services, LLC · San Francisco, CA
- Clone network (Krebs 2024)
TruePeopleSearch.net · FastPeopleSearch.io · CocoFinder
- Clone network base
Beijing (Alibaba Cloud registrations)
- Often-paired site
FastPeopleSearch.com - separate operator per registry
- Business model
Affiliate commissions
- BBB rating
B (not accredited)
The Krebs investigation of the clone network identified that two named "executives" on its marketing materials were fabricated personas with stock-photo headshots:
- "Sally Stevens" - LinkedIn profile photo is identical to a stock image titled "beautiful girl" sold on Adobe Stock.
- "Alina Clark" - profile photo is a stock photo appearing on more than 100 unrelated websites.
Krebs concluded that network's purpose is to conceal the location of operators in China who generate affiliate commissions when visitors purchase people-search reports - white-label fronts brokering access to personal information held by US-based aggregators. TruePeopleSearch.com itself sits outside that documented network. Its own registry filing places Free Data Services, LLC in San Francisco, and the "Marilyn Gaskell" founder persona that fronts the brand in press coverage is the same persona Krebs places in the clone network's marketing - no verifiable person stands behind it, and the registry filing names no individual.
What the BBB file date doesn't tell you. The BBB shows a 2008 origin date for the business name; the CPPA registry filing shows who operates the site now (Free Data Services, LLC). The ~2020 Alibaba Cloud registrations Krebs documented belong to the clone network, not to this domain. Treat the BBB founding date as business-name lineage and the registry filing as the operator of record.
Data Published
Data types
Sensitive: elevated identity-theft, doxxing, or safety riskStandard public-record field
- Full names, including aliases and prior names
- Current and previous home addressesSensitive
- Phone numbers (landline and mobile)
- Email addresses
- Approximate age and date of birthSensitive
- Names of likely relatives, household members, and known associatesSensitive
- Property and address-history data
- Reverse-lookup data: phone → name, address → resident
Data sources: US public records (voter rolls, property, court), commercial data aggregators, and indexed online sources. Per Krebs, the network functions as a white-label front brokering access to data held by US-based aggregators. Records are not verified against the actual subject and may be stale, mismatched, or attributable to the wrong person.
Free-to-view model is unusual. TruePeopleSearch presents detailed records without requiring a subscription - the revenue model is affiliate commissions when users click through to paid services for fuller reports. This makes the data easier to surface (no paywall) but also means your record is publicly viewable to anyone with the URL.
Contact
Contacts & links
- Operating entity
Free Data Services, LLC (dba TruePeopleSearch.com) Per the current CPPA data-broker registry filing; the BBB file lists only the brand name
- BBB-listed address
PO Box 7775 PMB 29296 San Francisco, CA 94120-7775 (PO Box / Private Mailbox; KrebsOnSecurity (March 2024) reported on a similarly-named people-search network - specifically TruePeopleSearch.net - with operators registered through Alibaba Cloud in Beijing. We could not independently confirm that TruePeopleSearch.com itself is operated from China)
- Customer service phone
- Privacy / opt-out email
- CA Data Broker registry
Free Data Services, LLC (dba TruePeopleSearch.com) · San Francisco · 0 requests to delete reported for 2024 - cppa.ca.gov/data_broker_registry/
- Opt-out / removal page
Network
Commonly confused with
TruePeopleSearch.com does not sit inside a documented multi-broker network. The two sites it is most often grouped with are listed below because readers will encounter them - but the current California registry files each under a different operator, and one is an outright clone.
Standalone broker
TruePeopleSearch does not operate as part of a known multi-broker network in this directory. The opt-out covers this brand only; check the page-specific contact section above for the request mechanism.
FastPeopleSearch.com is a separate operation. Third-party opt-out guides routinely pair the two brands, and the 2024 Krebs piece gets cited for the pairing - but Krebs's China network involved FastPeopleSearch.io, not the .com, and the California registry files fastpeoplesearch.com under Mississippi Tornado Alley, LLC while truepeoplesearch.com files under Free Data Services, LLC. Opt out at each site separately. TruePeopleSearch.net is an unrelated China-run clone of this site's brand.
Reputation
Trust signals
BBB and Trustpilot both lean negative for TruePeopleSearch, with complaints concentrated on the difficulty of removing personal information. Sitejabber's score is high but reflects only 2 reviews - too small a sample to be meaningful.
Personal information disclosed without consent; opt-out friction
Difficulty completing the removal flow (CAPTCHA failures, timing-out forms)
Records republished shortly after a successful removal
Inaccurate associations - wrong relatives, wrong addresses, wrong ages
PissedConsumer aggregates additional complaints (1.3 / 5 across 142 reviews)
Common complaint themes (BBB + Trustpilot):
Litigation
Litigation history
We have not found a Federal Trade Commission enforcement action, state Attorney General consent decree, California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) Delete Act settlement, or named class action with confirmed disposition against TruePeopleSearch as of the last-updated date below.
For enforcement purposes there is a US-based counterparty of record: the current California data-broker registry filing names Free Data Services, LLC of San Francisco as the operator. The cross-border jurisdictional friction Krebs documented applies to the TruePeopleSearch.net clone network, not to this domain.
FAQ
Q & A
Is TruePeopleSearch a data broker?
Yes. TruePeopleSearch is a free US people-search and reverse-lookup site, and the current California data-broker registry names its operator as Free Data Services, LLC, filing as TruePeopleSearch.com from San Francisco - consistent with the BBB's San Francisco PMB listing (business name dated June 14, 2008). A March 2024 KrebsOnSecurity investigation reported on a similarly-named clone network (TruePeopleSearch.net) registered through Alibaba Cloud in Beijing; no source ties TruePeopleSearch.com to that operation. The site is monetized through affiliate commissions when visitors click through to paid people-search services.
Who owns TruePeopleSearch?
The current CPPA data-broker registry filing names Free Data Services, LLC (dba TruePeopleSearch.com) of San Francisco as the operator; no individual is named on the filing and the site publishes no leadership. The "Marilyn Gaskell" founder persona that appears in press coverage traces to the Krebs investigation of the adjacent TruePeopleSearch.net clone network, where other named executives (Sally Stevens, Alina Clark) were shown to be fabricated identities with stock-photo headshots. Treat brand-press founder claims as unverified.
What information does TruePeopleSearch publish?
TruePeopleSearch publishes full names and aliases, current and previous home addresses, landline and mobile phone numbers, email addresses, approximate age and date of birth, likely relatives, household members and associates, property and address-history data, and reverse-lookup data linking phone to name and address to resident. The free-to-view model exposes detailed records without a subscription.
Can I remove myself from TruePeopleSearch?
Yes. TruePeopleSearch offers a removal form at truepeoplesearch.com/removal and accepts requests at privacy@truepeoplesearch.com. BBB complaints frequently cite difficulty completing the flow due to CAPTCHA failures and timing-out forms, plus records republished shortly after successful removal. See our TruePeopleSearch removal guide for step-by-step instructions.
How long does TruePeopleSearch take to remove information?
TruePeopleSearch does not publish a specific SLA. BBB and Trustpilot complaints describe records reappearing shortly after removal, suggesting the suppression is brand-specific and the upstream data feeds continue to expose records. Plan to verify removal and resubmit if the record resurfaces.
Is TruePeopleSearch covered by FCRA?
No. TruePeopleSearch is not a Consumer Reporting Agency under the FCRA. It is a free people-search front and its data is not FCRA-compliant for employment, tenant, credit, or insurance decisions. No FTC enforcement, state-AG consent decree, CPPA Delete Act settlement, or named class action with confirmed disposition has been found against TruePeopleSearch.
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August 5, 2026 · Operator identity updated from the current CPPA data-broker registry (Free Data Services, LLC); clone-network findings rescoped to TruePeopleSearch.net