Online Mugshots site is extorting me for $$$. Help!

Of course that doesn't mean someone shouldn't challenge it. It is actually a form of extortion. However, the plaintiff would probably have to show the "intent" was to extort and not just to provide a different form of access to available public information.
 
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Seen the thread title and half expected the OP to be about how he was scamed by the infamous Vegas road trip taking "Mugshots"

Anyway best of luck man sounds like a bit of an unfair mess
 
Might be a long shot, but try talking to a labor law attorney. If they side with you, and you have a case, labor law carries some very very serious weight in the U.S. They might/should take your case free of charge. Most offer free consultations.... doesn't hurt to ask.
 
Your employer saw your background check of course, the site probably didn't change their decision.
 
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SEO it out. Do the following which won't cost you much at all.

- Write off a press release and mass distribute/syndicate it. This is THE best way to take over SERPs. It will rank the PRs themselves on SERPs, and will/might even overtake your mugshot listings
- Mass build contextual backlink pages for your name - this is all reputation management :)
- Image SEO on massscale.

If you need any specific help, ask - we will help you.
 
This sucks but all these suggestions about negative SEO-ing the site is fruitless.
I would say more than anything that at least the one company that told him, has simply done a background check and found his legal problems. That was almost certainly the first thing they did.
After that, while it seems bush league and really redundant, they probably used the site.

So he could get the site down to the 10th page on G or he could even have his mugshot removed, he still has a criminal record.
@OP, I have no idea where you heard a record is erased after 7 years but I highly doubt it's true. If a kid who was 20 committed an armed robbery and was convicted of it and spent 20 years in prison and was then paroled, trust me his record would not be 'clean" after he turned 47.
 
barselo, you've received some excellent advice in this thread.

I would take BHopkins up on his offer to assist you. In addition to everything else, check out the following pages for some ideas/strategies you might be able to implement:

A Basic Guide To Online Reputation Management

What To Do When Your Private Information Becomes Publicly Available Online

There are MANY websites that work this "extortion" business-model, and MANY of them are located overseas, making things even tougher. Public records websites like these are bad, and sometimes even worse are the "he is a cheater, she is a whore, gossip-rumor"-type websites that are not only listing people's "private" info, but connecting their names and linking to their facebook accounts and other social media.

The Communications Decency Act/Who is responsible for user-generated-content/what is private-public records/etc debate is a tough one though, when you really look into all the angles it becomes very complex. Saying that though, just because the issue is complex, does not mean that people should be able to use this as "business model". Some of the sites that are "newer" in this "industry" are going to shock a lot of people I think, and we will see even more of a crackdown. Especially considering that online bullying is a HUGE issue right now...people do not take kindly to Joe Webmaster starting a website for people to post pictures and rumors of girls from their local college campus and write comments about them, things like that are getting serious heat right now.
 
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This is exactly what I was thinking. Create several accounts using your full name. Facebook, Pinterest, Ezinearticle postings. You can get them all up above those mugshots. It wont take that much work to do it and you'll save 600 bucks.
DarkDemon said:
SEO it out. Do the following which won't cost you much at all.

- Write off a press release and mass distribute/syndicate it. This is THE best way to take over SERPs. It will rank the PRs themselves on SERPs, and will/might even overtake your mugshot listings
- Mass build contextual backlink pages for your name - this is all reputation management :)
- Image SEO on massscale.

If you need any specific help, ask - we will help you.
Click to expand...
 
^^^ You have to factor in the cost of unique content, updated content, relevant etc too though. Orphan accounts/barely active are not going to do much. Just depends on the specific scenario.

But really, as loclhero suggested above, I would think this website might not be the only issue if the businesses are routinely performing a background check? What about expungement etc?
 
Wasn't there a thread about something like this like a month ago with another member?, is this a scam?
 
That sucks, but if the crime was only minor and you excellent job references from employers since that period of time you should still be able to find something. try finding work online until you get something, fiverr, article writing, anything really.
 
Pm me your real name, the keywords you want asociated with yourself, a website or profile you want to rank and a bunch of head shots.

Your CV too if you like, I can blast that out, will also send you login pass for all web properties should you ever wish to change them.

No charge.
 
There was a dude in kansas city I think that was doing this and got in a hell of a bind over it. I'd report them to the local government agencies if I were you by followed lawyering up and sending a Cease & Desist order
 
With all of the offers of help, you could have already had this taken care of...
 
BHopkins said:
With all of the offers of help, you could have already had this taken care of...
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I'm sorry. I saw all the offers today and yesterday after posting I was caught up with the rugrats and then today one of them was sick so I was playing Doctor all day long. lol. I'm going to PM you now. :)
 
There are a lot of sites that try to make money off of people's personal information. Even if you've got an unlisted number and keep your name off of networking sites you can find yourself on different websites that use public records. And some of them won't take your name off for any amount of money. I think it's disgusting and dangerous and I hope that new privacy laws are enacted. The old ones are way outdated in the digital age.

The one that's giving you grief is a particularly stupid venture. First of all, it really seems like extortion. If I had to guess, people with a criminal past generally don't have a whole lot of disposable income so you might make decent money from the few who pay up but in the end, you'll have more enemies than payments. Now, why would you try to make a living by pissing off millions of criminals all over the country? Many of them will have nothing to lose. The risk doesn't seem worth it.

If I found myself in this situation, I'd probably prefer to pay a lawyer than give my money to these people. I realize you don't have that option unless someone takes your case pro-bono. You may want to call a few lawyers for a free phone consult. In any case, I hope the people you're messaging in private can help you out.
 
barselo said:
I have a big problem and I'm hoping some of you can help me out.
Recently i got laid off from my job and while I had a bit of money saved I have 5 kids all ranging from the ages of 19-5 that depleted it fairly quickly. I have a pretty impressive resume workwise and lined up a couple interviews after a couple months of not having any luck finding a job.

What I found weird was that I'd interview for these positions, have great rapport, and the never hear from them again even after repeated inquiries.

I bumped into one of the human resources staff while on my way out one afternoon after going in to grovel about my job and i was given the rundown. It seems a website called bustedmugshots d*t c*m has a some pictures of me from a couple of incidents I had with the law ranging from 8-10 years ago.

I was in shock that these pictures and my arrest information could be so readily available on google like that. I contacted the website and they are attempting to "extort" me for approx. $600 to have the pictures removed. I explained to the lady on the phone that I could not get hired due to these pictures and that they all stemmed from one case upon which I got violated twice during my probation for not having enough money to pay restitution fees, and that this charge was from 2003-04 and she got really nasty with me. Pretty much told me to go Eff myself and that who told me to go to jail.

I don't know what to do as obviously I don't have the $600 to pay as I can barely keep a roof over my family's head right now.
what they are doing is morally wrong. Financially wrong for most people. Why am I continuing to have to pay for a crime that I did my time for over 8 years ago? If it wasn't because of this site those jobs would have never known because after 7 years it does not show up in record checks unless it's a financial or govt position.

Someone or Some of you please advise me as to what to do.
I hope someone here has a solution to this problem. This company is making money like crazy off of this. I have read other horror stories online. I havent been able to sleep all week over this and I'm at wit's end. How do i tell my 19 yr old that I can't afford to pay her college next semester because Dad doesn't have a job? I'm losing the rest of my damn hair. smh

0_o
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Just take it as a positive and go and run your own business.

It's really not that hard to make money when you're motivated. Most people on bhw only fail because they're lazy and just want quick money so they can party/get a car.

Since you have a family etc if you really set your mind to it nothing will stop you from making money.

Send me a pm with your skype and I'll help you get going in the right direction. If you don't have skype then install it. I don't usually offer to help people, but you haven't asked for anything from us other than how to deal with a situation that's stopping you get a job, so I'm happy to help someone like you.
 
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