New ClarityCheck research points to a sharper form of digital anxiety: people are not only worried about being found online, but about having their identity copied and used in scams, fake profiles or synthetic media.
Visibility is no longer the only concern shaping how people think about digital identity. New ClarityCheck data suggests that consumers are increasingly focused on a more specific risk: the possibility that publicly available information can be used to imitate them.
In a ClarityCheck survey of 4,200 adults across the United States, Latin America and Europe, 64% said they worry someone could use their name, photo, phone number, email address or other publicly available information to impersonate them online. The concern was even higher among respondents who said they regularly use dating apps or social platforms, with 71% saying they had considered whether their photos or profile details could be reused by someone else.
The anxiety is closely tied to synthetic media. 58% of respondents said they worry their photo or video could be used in a fake image, video or profile without consent. 49% said they worry a scammer could use their voice, image or personal details to impersonate them to someone they know. Another 42% said impersonation or deepfake concerns have made them more cautious about posting clear facial photos publicly.
ClarityCheck’s internal usage patterns show a similar shift from curiosity to risk assessment. Among users who searched their own phone number, email or image, 54% said they were checking what information was publicly visible about them. 37% said they were specifically concerned that their details could be reused in a fake account, suspicious message or scam attempt. Among users aged 18 to 34, that figure rose to 46%, reflecting how identity risk is increasingly connected to social platforms, dating apps and image-based communication.
The findings arrive as generative AI tools lower the amount of material needed to create convincing synthetic content. A single public photograph, short video clip or voice sample can now become part of a fake profile, manipulated image or impersonation attempt. The risk does not depend only on advanced deepfake videos. In many cases, the more effective deception is simpler: a real photo attached to a false name, a familiar phone number paired with an urgent message, or a copied profile used to start a conversation.
That pattern is visible in family emergency scams, where fraudsters use fragments of personal information to create credibility. A caller may claim to be a child, parent or sibling facing an accident, arrest, lost phone, travel problem or medical emergency. The scam works by compressing verification time. The target is pushed to react emotionally before checking whether the story is real.
Romance scams use a slower version of the same mechanism. Photos taken from Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or older public profiles can be repurposed into dating identities that appear ordinary at first. The conversation may later move toward fake investments, crypto schemes, trading platforms or urgent requests for money. The person whose images were copied may never know their identity was used.
This is why self-searching is becoming a defensive habit rather than an act of vanity. 51% of survey respondents said they had searched for themselves online to see what information could be copied or misused. Among ClarityCheck users who performed repeat searches, 62% checked more than one identifier, such as a phone number and email address, suggesting that consumers increasingly understand identity as a collection of connected fragments rather than a single profile.
The data points to a clear change in digital safety behavior. People are not only asking what can be found about them. They are asking how easily those details can be assembled into something persuasive, misleading or harmful. The internet made identity searchable. AI and low-cost fraud tools are making parts of identity reproducible.
About ClarityCheck
ClarityCheck is an all-in-one background verification tool for phone numbers, emails, and images. Designed for everyday digital safety, ClarityCheck helps users identify unknown contacts, trace suspicious profiles, and assess potential risks using publicly available information. By combining reverse lookup and OSINT technologies, ClarityCheck supports more informed decision-making in online interactions.
Media Contact:
ClarityCheck Inc.
pr@claritycheck.com
Lauren Fellows
PR Manager
In a ClarityCheck survey of 4,200 adults across the United States, Latin America and Europe, 64% said they worry someone could use their name, photo, phone number, email address or other publicly available information to impersonate them online. The concern was even higher among respondents who said they regularly use dating apps or social platforms, with 71% saying they had considered whether their photos or profile details could be reused by someone else.
The anxiety is closely tied to synthetic media. 58% of respondents said they worry their photo or video could be used in a fake image, video or profile without consent. 49% said they worry a scammer could use their voice, image or personal details to impersonate them to someone they know. Another 42% said impersonation or deepfake concerns have made them more cautious about posting clear facial photos publicly.
ClarityCheck’s internal usage patterns show a similar shift from curiosity to risk assessment. Among users who searched their own phone number, email or image, 54% said they were checking what information was publicly visible about them. 37% said they were specifically concerned that their details could be reused in a fake account, suspicious message or scam attempt. Among users aged 18 to 34, that figure rose to 46%, reflecting how identity risk is increasingly connected to social platforms, dating apps and image-based communication.
The findings arrive as generative AI tools lower the amount of material needed to create convincing synthetic content. A single public photograph, short video clip or voice sample can now become part of a fake profile, manipulated image or impersonation attempt. The risk does not depend only on advanced deepfake videos. In many cases, the more effective deception is simpler: a real photo attached to a false name, a familiar phone number paired with an urgent message, or a copied profile used to start a conversation.
That pattern is visible in family emergency scams, where fraudsters use fragments of personal information to create credibility. A caller may claim to be a child, parent or sibling facing an accident, arrest, lost phone, travel problem or medical emergency. The scam works by compressing verification time. The target is pushed to react emotionally before checking whether the story is real.
Romance scams use a slower version of the same mechanism. Photos taken from Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or older public profiles can be repurposed into dating identities that appear ordinary at first. The conversation may later move toward fake investments, crypto schemes, trading platforms or urgent requests for money. The person whose images were copied may never know their identity was used.
This is why self-searching is becoming a defensive habit rather than an act of vanity. 51% of survey respondents said they had searched for themselves online to see what information could be copied or misused. Among ClarityCheck users who performed repeat searches, 62% checked more than one identifier, such as a phone number and email address, suggesting that consumers increasingly understand identity as a collection of connected fragments rather than a single profile.
The data points to a clear change in digital safety behavior. People are not only asking what can be found about them. They are asking how easily those details can be assembled into something persuasive, misleading or harmful. The internet made identity searchable. AI and low-cost fraud tools are making parts of identity reproducible.
About ClarityCheck
ClarityCheck is an all-in-one background verification tool for phone numbers, emails, and images. Designed for everyday digital safety, ClarityCheck helps users identify unknown contacts, trace suspicious profiles, and assess potential risks using publicly available information. By combining reverse lookup and OSINT technologies, ClarityCheck supports more informed decision-making in online interactions.
Media Contact:
ClarityCheck Inc.
pr@claritycheck.com
Lauren Fellows
PR Manager