I searched someone on PeekYou do they get notified — what I learned

Disclosure: Some links, like Social Catfish and Spokeo, are tools I’ve personally used and found helpful. If you use them, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. My recommendations are based on genuine experience.

My name is Kaia Winslow, and I live in Ashland. A few months ago, my best friend sent me a screenshot of a Facebook profile with my name and photo—except I never made it. The account was messaging people, asking for money. I felt sick. Someone was impersonating me, and I had no idea how many fake accounts were out there.

That’s when I started digging into people search websites like PeekYou, Spokeo, and Social Catfish—tools that promise to help you uncover hidden or fake profiles. But I quickly learned that not all of them work the same way.

What Is PeekYou? (And Does It Notify Users When You Search for Them?)

PeekYou is a people search engine, similar to Spokeo or Social Catfish, but with a key difference—it doesn’t actually host most of its own data. Instead, it acts as a middleman, pulling results from sponsored sites like Instant Checkmate, BeenVerified, and TruthFinder.

The big question: If you search for someone on PeekYou, do they get notified?

The answer is no. PeekYou doesn’t alert the person you’re searching for. But here’s the catch—when you click on a result, PeekYou often redirects you to another paid background check site. That’s because PeekYou makes money through affiliate partnerships.

PeekYou is a legit and well-established people search website, but it often redirects you to partner sites like TruthFinder, BeenVerified, and Instant Checkmate for detailed reports. The good news is, PeekYou does not notify people when you search for them, so your searches remain private. While PeekYou can be helpful, I personally found Spokeo and Social Catfish to be cheaper and offer better value for the price. If you’re looking for more affordable and comprehensive options, those two might be worth checking out.

My Experience with PeekYou (And Why I Switched to Spokeo & Social Catfish)

At first, I tried PeekYou. I entered my phone number, and it showed me a list of possible matches. But every time I clicked for details, it sent me to TruthFinder, asking for a paid subscription. I was hesitant—was PeekYou a scam?

I checked URLVoid, a website safety tool, and found that PeekYou has been around for nearly 20 years. It’s a legit site, but it’s not the best for deep searches. Instead of giving direct results, it funnels users to more expensive services.

Frustrated, I turned to Spokeo and used their popular reverse name lookup tool—something I should’ve done earlier. For just 95 cents, I searched my name and was shocked to find five fake Facebook profiles and three Instagram accounts using my name and photos—some even had my phone number listed. Thanks to Spokeo, I had enough evidence to report them, and within days, both Facebook and Instagram took the accounts down. It was the first real relief after weeks of stress.

Spokeo does not notify the person when you search for them—your search remains completely private.

How Social Catfish Solved What Other Tools Missed

When Spokeo helped me uncover the obvious fake accounts, I thought the nightmare was over—until I realized some scammers were smarter. They had stolen my photos but used completely different names, making them nearly impossible to find through traditional searches.

That's when I discovered Social Catfish's reverse image search, a powerful tool specifically designed to hunt down online impersonators. Unlike basic search methods, their image lookup technology could track where my photos were being used across the web - even when scammers changed names or created entirely fake identities.

Unlike free tools like TinEye, which only scan surface-level matches, Social Catfish digs deeper. It cross-references images across dating sites, social media, and even obscure forums where scammers hide. Within minutes of uploading my photo, it found two more fake accounts—a secret Snapchat and an Instagram page I never knew existed. Both were using my pictures to scam people.

What sets Social Catfish apart is its focus on romance scams and catfishing. While Spokeo is great for basic background checks, Social Catfish specializes in exposing hidden online identities. If you suspect someone is impersonating you—or if you’re dealing with a potential catfish—this tool is a game-changer. It helped me wipe out every trace of my stolen identity online, something no other service could do as thoroughly.

Social Catfish does not notify the person you’re searching for—your search stays completely private and anonymous.

Which People Search Site Should You Use?

PeekYou – Free to search, but redirects to paid sites. Good for a quick check, but not deep investigations.

Spokeo – Affordable and reliable for name and phone number searches. Great for finding fake social media accounts.

Social Catfish – The best for reverse image searches and tracking down catfishers. More thorough than free tools.

Final Thoughts

If you’re worried about fake profiles or hidden accounts, skip PeekYou unless you’re okay with being upsold. Instead, go straight to Spokeo for name/phone searches or Social Catfish for image-based investigations.

In my case, these tools helped me shut down eight fake accounts impersonating me. If you’re dealing with online scams or impersonation, don’t wait—act fast before more damage is done.