Broker check
Is Radaris legit and safe?
Reviewed July 26, 2026
Short answer
Radaris is a real, operating people-search business rather than a scam, but it has the most contested public record of the sites on this list. It has been sued under Illinois' Right of Publicity Act and under New Jersey's Daniel's Law, and security journalist Brian Krebs has published detailed reporting on who actually runs it after the company disputed his findings. Its opt-out works but is fiddlier than most.
| Type of site | People-search sites |
|---|---|
| Cost to remove yourself | Free |
| Time to submit the request | 10 to 20 minutes |
| Account required | No |
| Typical time to disappear | about 24 hours for the web form (emailed requests 7 to 14 business days) |
| Enforcement actions we found | 3 documented - see the public record below |
Is Radaris a scam?
Not a scam in the fraud sense - it is a functioning business and removal is free. It is, however, the site where readers most often report that removal took more than one attempt, so expect to verify the listing is actually gone rather than assuming.
What Radaris actually is
Radaris publishes profiles of individuals and businesses compiled from public records and purchased data, including addresses, phone numbers, relatives, and employment and property details. It operates alongside a large network of related people-search properties, which is part of why its data feels difficult to fully escape.
Where Radaris gets your data
Public records and commercial data, republished at scale. Krebs on Security's 2024 investigation traced the operation's origins to two men in Massachusetts who ran Russian-language dating services and affiliate programs in addition to what he described as a dizzying array of people-search websites.
Is it legal?
Radaris states it is not a consumer reporting agency, so its data may not lawfully be used for FCRA-regulated decisions such as hiring, tenancy, or credit. That disclaimer is not self-executing, either. In September 2023 the FTC penalised TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate $5.8 million for operating as consumer reporting agencies while marketing background reports for employment and tenant screening - the label a site gives itself does not decide the question.
What Radaris exposes about you
- Full name
- Addresses and phone numbers
- Property, criminal, and court records
- Employment history
- Relatives and associates
The real risks
- Removal is less reliable than at most brokers, and listings are widely reported to need a second attempt.
- A network of related sites means the same underlying data can resurface under a different brand.
- Profiles mix personal and professional details, which raises the stakes if the record is wrong.
- It has been the target of privacy litigation in more than one state, which suggests the compliance posture is contested rather than settled.
Radaris's public record
October 2023
An Illinois resident filed a class-action lawsuit alleging Radaris used people's names for commercial purposes in violation of the Illinois Right of Publicity Act.
Krebs on Security, March 2024February 2024
Atlas Data Privacy Corp. sued Radaris LLC under New Jersey's Daniel's Law, which lets law-enforcement officers, government personnel, judges and their families require removal of their information from people-search services and commercial data brokers.
Krebs on Security, March 2024March 2024
Krebs on Security published a detailed investigation into Radaris' ownership and corporate structure, tracing the operation to Massachusetts operators who also ran a network of other people-search sites.
Krebs on Security, March 2024What to do about it
You can remove yourself for free, and you do not need a reason. Our step-by-step Radaris opt-out guide covers the current process - about 10 to 20 minutes, no payment, and no account needed in most cases. Expect to repeat it every few months, because these listings rebuild from public records. If you would rather see which sites list you before starting, the free exposure scan checks the major brokers, known breaches, and public profiles tied to your username without storing anything.
California residents have a stronger option: the state's free DROP platform sends a single binding deletion request to every registered data broker. Everyone else can see what your state allows.