The recent surge of attacks on Tesla owners, dealerships and charging stations has morphed into a broader campaign of intimidation, fueled by weaponized personal data. But the fallout isn’t limited to Tesla owners alone.
Sites like “Dogequest” have published names, addresses and phone numbers supposedly belonging to Tesla owners, yet many victims never owned a Tesla or sold theirs years ago. Some were misidentified due to errors in public records or outdated databases, turning ordinary people into targets for harassment and threats. The site’s operators have even demanded proof of sale from anyone seeking removal, putting the burden on innocent people to clear their names.
As the DOJ and FBI label these attacks as domestic terrorism and ramp up investigations, the chilling reality is that anyone, even those only suspected of owning a Tesla, can find themselves exposed and at risk.
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How innocent people get caught in the crossfire
On March 18, 2025, a hacker group launched “Dogequest,” a website featuring a searchable map of supposed Tesla owners and employees. The site didn’t just list dealerships and charging stations; it exposed names, home addresses, phone numbers and emails, sometimes even in real time. The twist? Many of the people listed never owned a Tesla at all.
The data fueling this attack came from public vehicle registration records and third-party databases, notorious for their inaccuracies. Some victims had sold their Teslas years ago. Others were never owners, just mistakenly linked by a typo, a recycled phone number or a database error. Yet they found themselves on a digital hit list, with their privacy and safety at risk.
The real-world consequences
This isn’t just an online problem. Firebombings at showrooms, bullets through dealership windows and threats to families have all been linked to these doxxing campaigns. Law enforcement, including the DOJ, now calls it domestic terrorism. And because the data is so often wrong, anyone could be next, regardless of whether you’ve ever set foot in a Tesla.
Why misidentification matters to everyone
If you think you’re safe because you don’t own a Tesla, think again. The same flawed data sources that misidentified Tesla owners exist for countless other products, memberships and affiliations. Today, it’s electric cars; tomorrow, it could be political donors, healthcare workers or anyone else whose data is bought and sold.
HERTZ DATA BREACH EXPOSES CUSTOMER INFORMATION
What you can do to protect yourself now
Whether your personal data was exposed in a breach, leaked by someone with inside access or scraped from people-finder sites, you’re at risk, not just if you own a Tesla, but even if you’re misidentified. Here’s how to reduce your exposure and protect yourself from becoming the next target of a doxxing attack.
Breaches and leaks
To help prevent your data from ending up in a breach or leak:
- Limit what data companies have on you in the first place. Fill in only the required fields, use email aliases and burner or VoIP numbers where possible, and use a P.O. Box in place of a street address. Provide fake details where it’s practical and legal to do so.
- Delete accounts you no longer need. That online shopping account you used once five years ago? All that personal information is still sitting there, just waiting to be breached or leaked. Look for options like “delete my data” and “delete data and close account” rather than just “close account.”
People finder sites and why you need a data removal service
Also known as people-search sites, these data brokers profit by compiling detailed personal profiles that are fully searchable and available to anyone for a small fee. They’re among the most dangerous sources of exposed personal information online. Fortunately, they’re also some of the easiest to tackle, especially with the help of a personal data removal service.
These services send legally binding opt-out requests to people-search sites and other data brokers on your behalf, ensuring your information is taken down. Some services, like our No. 1 pick, even offer custom removal options, where privacy professionals handle complex cases that go beyond automated systems.
While no service can guarantee complete data erasure from the internet, using a trusted removal service is a smart way to automate and maintain ongoing protection from hundreds of data-hungry sites over time.
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Additional critical digital defenses to implement
While removing your data from brokers and minimizing online footprints are essential first steps, true safety in this new era of weaponized information also requires securing our digital infrastructure against both physical and virtual threats. Here are a few steps you can take to protect your data.
Use two-factor authentication: Protect your vehicle’s account and associated emails with authenticator apps rather than SMS, which is vulnerable to SIM-swapping attacks.
Use a VPN: Mask your IP address when accessing your vehicle’s apps on public Wi-Fi to prevent location tracking and man-in-the-middle attacks. VPNs will protect you from those who want to track and identify your potential location. For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
Cabin cam caution: Disable Cabin Camera Recording under Data Sharing unless essential. While Tesla claims footage isn’t linked to identities by default, third-party app vulnerabilities could expose this data. Newer Teslas process cabin cam footage locally, but legacy models may still use cloud backups, so check your software version.
Report doxxing or cyber harassment: If you’ve been doxxed or targeted online, don’t wait to take action. Report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), ic3.gov, or to local law enforcement, as many states have laws addressing doxxing, stalking and cyber harassment. File a police report with documented evidence (screenshots, URLs, timestamps). Also, for account-specific threats, contact Tesla customer service directly to report suspicious activity and secure your account.
Kurt’s key takeaways
The reality is unsettling but not hopeless, and while the threats of our hyper-connected world can feel overwhelming, you don’t have to just hope you won’t be targeted. You can take control by arming yourself with knowledge, using the right tools, building smart habits like checking your digital footprint, using removal tools and staying alert to new threats because the attackers are organized, and it’s time we are, too.
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