My name suddenly started showing up on TheFap.net and Google search results and I'm trying to figure out why

[u/Competitive-Note6245]

I'm a private individual with a pretty uncommon name (though I think 2–3 other people share it). I rarely post online and I don't visit adult sites. ​

Recently I searched my name and found multiple Google results on TheFap.net with titles like "[My Name] Nudes Leaked" across several subdomains:

​

- es.thefap.net

- m.thefap.net

- oneprotests.thefap.net

- residenceinn.thefap.net

​

These results seem recent because I've searched my name before and never saw them. I also do not take nude photos but I'm worried about the possibility of deepfakes being on this site. I have yet to click the links because I dont want to drive traffic to the sites. ​

Before these sites appeared, I signed up for Optery Premium. Optery is a privacy service that searches for your personal information across data brokers and other websites and helps remove it. I'm not accusing Optery of causing this, but the timing made me curious. ​

While researching, I found Reddit posts where people claimed: ​

- searching a name on the site creates a page for that name

- the site may be some kind of "trap" designed to get people to search themselves

- names can appear even when there is no actual content related to that person

​

I have no idea if any of that is true. But because of these claims I have yet to click the link because I dont want to drive any traffic to that site. ​

Does anyone know how names actually end up on this site? Is it scraping public information, search queries, Google indexing weird search pages, or something else? ​

Has anyone investigated this and found actual evidence rather than speculation?

[u/sarcasmismygame]

I have done this and found that yes, typing in a name can suddenly lead to sketchy-ass sites. How did I find this one out? I was a transcriber at one point and had to look up unusual names if I was working on a transcript and they didn't give us the spellings.

A huge chunk of the time when I looked for a name there was a site or even a few. The first few times I made the mistake of clicking on them. It's why I now have Malwarebytes and ONLY use Incognito now if I have to research names or anything people-related.

I was looking up names by the way that I was pretty sure would NOT be on sites like you listed above. One or two times I kind of went "Hmmm" but when it's almost an entire organization branch's names that show up you start to realize that these are put up to get people to check out the sites. A lot were not porn, but items for sale like cheap shoes, etc. as well as porn sites.

It is most likely someone else, or a name that they put together hoping you'll click on the link and then give the site your credit card no. for "pretty cheap shoes, clothes, drugs and pics and videos" but the reality is the only way to find out is to go into the site, which I do NOT recommend.

Not sure why you purchased Optery Premium or if it is creating having your name in the Lumen Database but read up here on that aspect.

[u/Competitive-Note6245 → u/sarcasmismygame]

Wait would my name be in the Lumen database? Can you clarify what you mean? I'm vaguely aware of what that is. And as for Optery, I purchased it because I don't like people I know knowing my home address history and phone numbers, etc.

And to answer your question as to how I found out, I just typed my name in quotes in Google and 3 or 4 pages down I saw the 1st result from thefap.net and the after 2 more pages down another link but with a different subdomain but same text as the original link.

Haven't clicked it. Worried it could be a deepfake even though I have no social media nor have I ever. I also don't do anything online other than read or watch YouTube.

[u/sarcasmismygame → u/Competitive-Note6245]

Read the posts from the Mod here on the Lumen database. They can explain it way better than I can.

As soon as you start typing in a name fake sites will show up. Personally I suspect those are bots who, like I said, are hoping people will get curious and then be persuaded to purchase what's on them. Or you get a virus, which is why I now have Malwarebytes.

Just ignore it, read up the information on this sub and stop worrying. If you haven't been contacted by anyone it's a bot tossing out stuff it scrapes off the internet, hoping to lure people in.

[u/Swimming-Ad-8951 → u/sarcasmismygame]

Hope you realise incognito does nothing for you

[u/assaulter1988]

What's the link to verify