Spokeo

You get a call from a family member saying they’ve been in an accident and need money. You recognize their voice, so you don’t think twice about whether it’s really them. That’s what makes AI voice-cloning scams so concerning. Scammers can use recordings found online to imitate familiar voices and make an emergency feel real enough that someone acts before stopping to verify the call. If you receive an unexpected call like this, hang up and contact your family member directly using a number you already know. You can also search an unfamiliar phone number to see what information is associated with it, but because caller ID can be spoofed, no single check should be treated as proof. A family safe word can add another layer of protection, too. It gives everyone something simple to ask for when a call doesn’t quite add up.

Scam messages have gotten a lot better at sounding like conversations people actually have. A text about a package, an overdue payment, a job opportunity, or even a message that seems meant for someone else can look ordinary enough at first glance. Some scammers also use information that's already available online to make a message feel more believable. That makes the sender worth paying attention to, not just the message itself. If an unfamiliar number is asking you to click, pay, share information, or act quickly, checking who's behind it can be a useful step before responding.

Americans are still doing a lot of moving. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 27 million people in the U.S. changed residences between 2023 and 2024. Every move creates another old address, and over the course of a lifetime, those addresses can become useful pieces of someone's history. That's part of why an address from years ago can still be relevant when you're trying to reconnect with someone or distinguish between people with similar names.

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Think about how many addresses, phone numbers and email accounts you've had over the years. Which one has changed the most for you?

Imagine taking a DNA test because you’re curious about your ethnicity and getting an unexpected match for a sibling, parent or grandparent instead. One survey found that 25% reported discovering close relatives they hadn’t known about through their or an immediate family member’s test. Would you reach out?

❌ Myth: You need someone's full name and current address to have any chance of finding them. ✅ Reality: Older or partial information can still provide useful clues. A previous city, approximate age, former address, phone number, email address, or other detail may help distinguish one person from another and connect information from different points in time. When years have passed, the information you remember doesn't necessarily have to be current to give you somewhere to start.

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You buy an old piece of furniture secondhand and discover an envelope tucked inside. It's filled with family photographs, and a few have names and dates written on the back. They clearly meant something to someone, but you have no idea who the family is or where they live now. What would you do? Would you try to track them down and return the photos?

We’re proud to recognize Spokeo’s Fall 2026 Scholarship runner-up, Maleah Wilson, an incoming Political Science student at the University of Michigan. Maleah approaches agentic AI from a perspective we don’t always hear in conversations about emerging technology: What if one of its most meaningful applications is helping people understand the institutions they already encounter? Her essay explores how complex language and processes across education, healthcare, law, housing, and finance can influence whether people are able to act on the opportunities available to them. She imagines agentic AI providing interpretation at the moment it’s needed, while preserving the role of human expertise and judgment.