You have a secret AI ‘shadow score.’ Here’s how to see it

January 2, 2026

By Kim Komando

Ever wonder why you’re on hold for 45 minutes while your friend gets a rep in two? Or why that rental suddenly shows no longer available the second you try to book it? It could be your shadow score.

Here’s the deal. While we obsess over credit scores, a hidden digital profile is being built about you. Every time you return a pair of shoes, complain to customer service or browse for a flight, a secret algorithm is ranking you as either a VIP or problem child.

This is how you can find yours and fight back.

🚪 Meet the gatekeepers

• Sift: They give you a score that flags you as a fraud risk or bad customer. Big names like Airbnb, Yelp and Poshmark use them. 
• Zeta Global: They predict exactly how much money you’re likely to spend and are 99.9% right.
• Retail Equation: They watch your return habits at stores like Best Buy and Home Depot. Unlike the others, they don’t let you see your file unless you’ve already been warned or denied a return.

🔍 See what they have

While the California Consumer Privacy Act is the gold standard, these massive firms process requests for all U.S. residents to avoid a legal headache.

• The move: Use these links to see what they have on you at Sift and Zeta Global.
• The result: They’re legally required to send you a file showing the risk flags, purchase history and labels attached to your name.

♟️ Take action

• Step 1: Use a different email address for things like returns or complaints.
• Step 2: Use a credit card, never a debit card. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you have the right to dispute a charge if a merchant refuses to honor a legitimate return. Debit cards don’t have the same level of protection.
• Step 3: Cut off the supply. Shadow score gatekeepers buy your information from massive data brokers. If you remove your info from these brokers, the scoring firms have nothing left to buy.

I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about Incogni. They’ve been a radio sponsor for years. Trying to manually scrub your data from hundreds of individual brokers is a full-time job. Incogni automates the entire process, identifying the data brokers that have your information and sending formal, legally backed removal requests on your behalf.

This is crucial because shadow score firms rely on a constant stream of fresh data from brokers, who often re-list your info as soon as it’s deleted. Incogni continuously monitors these sites and resends requests regularly. This directly starves the shadow score algorithms of the data they need to profile you in the first place.

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