In the old days, directories would contact women and ask them if they wanted to be included in a directory. Sometimes there was a charge, sometimes not. Most of them were legitimate, though often run by sleazy men cashing in on women’s work.
Nowadays, they don’t ask. Sites are scraped, photos stolen, information added with no permission. Many of these sites are old and no longer attended to. Some sites have phishing scams and god knows what else.
In the very least, a lot of the information on these sites is not up-to-date. As is the case with me. I stopped seeing people in person on 14 Febrary, 2020, the day I heard that the Corona Virus was spreading. I cancelled the appointment I had scheduled that day, packed it in, and haven’t seen anyone in person since. Yet, I still get phone calls and messages from men wanting to book an in-person appointment because they found me in a directory that copied my information years ago.
These sites cram as many women as they can onto their sites to get hits. Either they are making money from advertising or they are doing something dodgy with your information.
Be careful which sites you visit and what information they gather from you.