I underestimated how much data exposure comes with being listed online

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Bots crawl the net looking at source files for things like phone numbers or emails embedded in form code. Bots crawl state filings for new companies, which is generally public information. Then *(not exactly, it’s still legal, but for all intents and purposes)* scam letters are generated and mailed. I delete the spam email. My email is not on my company website. I immediately toss any physical mail with my side hustle business name on it, since it has one client and one client only, and will never receive anything not from that client.

Simple answer: it is not possible. You need better coping strategies. First, email: set up aggressive sorting rules so you are not needing to slog through lots of unwanted email. Twice a week I open up my general email, sort by sender, and fairly quickly delete thousands of junk emails. My clients and coworkers are automated to sort to appropriate folders. I also have specific email addresses I use when I need to enter my email address somewhere I feel will lead to junk mail. Phone: set up a virtual phone system and transfer your current office number and cell phone to that system. Get a new cell number that you ONLY give to respectful clients, coworkers and family. Never use it online except for extremely secure places (eg banking and medical.) Use a voice prompt on your virtual phones such as "you have reached AAA, if you know your party's extension, dial it now. Dial 0 to leave a message, 1 for billing, ..." Calls can either get routed or they can leave a message. You can also set up specific numbers to ring you directly (or xfer to your cell.) Set up a temporary SMS phone number anytime you put an ad for employees, etc. That way you can delete it when no longer needed. If these ideas would not work for you, consider hiring a service that answers the phone, follows specific scripts for various topics, and forwards only calls you want to take.

My state's secretary of state website got hacked and information was stolen. They sent me letter that I could file a claim, but how do file a claim for 4 spam phone calls/texts that may or may not have been part of the hacked information?

After opening my business I also started receiving random contacts from shady places. You can alleviate some of this by filling your state and local business registrations through an accountant or legal service that files these kind of things. Don’t use your personal email, and try to use some business address that isn’t your home address. Your legal name is often still searchable with those looking for your business. But you can protect your personal address by having a service file it for you. There is also some online business directory I can’t remember their name; but they had plastered my name and home address all on their website, i had to actually contact them to remove my personal information.

In the past, never showing your phone number as text helped a lot. You'd put it in an image that a legit customer could read, but a scraper bot could not. Now AI scrapers have negated that approach. Never list your email address on a public website at all. Use a CAPTCHA protected message form that requires a customer email address as a contact method. Then you can email them from any system you want. I'd highly recommend never showing employee photos or other info as well.

Things I do: 1.) Get a UPS Store Mailbox to use for your business address. 2.) Use a phone number from Twilio or Google Voice as your company phone number. 3.) Buy a domain name and set up an email service like Google Workspace, Fastmail, or Microsoft Office (whatever they call it today) 4.) Purchase a subscription to a service that deletes your personal information out of data broker websites like Incogni or DeleteMe. It can take 6-12 months to see effects, but I have seen it work. If your business is about getting media cover and building a personal brand, then none of this applies. You will be a public person.

Yup. This is the part nobody warns you about