Sunday, April 12, 2009

New Friends Online? Check Them Out Before Getting Too Close

The Internet has become one of the latest places to meet people. Whether you are looking for a casual friend or a romantic interlude, it can all be found on the worldwide web. Places like Facebook and Myspace give you a forum to express yourself to others, and the number of matchmaker sites these days is overwhelming.

If you have ever spent any time meeting and greeting on the web, you know that most people are not exactly what they make themselves out to be. Some of them have gone so far as to create an entire alternate identity.

Despite the dangers, the rewards of meeting online can be great. You have the opportunity to get to know others from all over the world. You make new and interesting friends from places you may never have visited. It provides an excellent opportunity for us to share our cultures and open our minds to new possibilities.

Who is really behind that screen name?

When you make new friends online, how do you know if they are trustworthy? Can you really afford to get close to them, or are Internet friendships best kept very casual?

As with any new relationship, go slowly and proceed with caution. Keep the topics of conversation neutral and safe & never discuss anything personal with someone you do not know. Be instantly suspicious if your new friend begins questioning you about your finances.

If you have been conversing with someone for a while and feel a connection, you may decide you want to take the friendship a step further. You may begin to share more personal details of your life, or you may begin making plans to meet each other in person.

Take smart measures to protect yourself

Before taking this step towards increased intimacy, be sure to reasonably protect yourself. First of all, try to validate your new friend's identity and ensure they really are who they say they are. Search records from the Department of Motor Vehicles in your friend's area and see if you can locate a license or identification card that matches the name, date of birth, physical description, and address of your new friend. If you cannot find a matching motor vehicle record, try voter registration records.

One of the best ways to protect yourself is to conduct an online background check of your friend. Any court documents from judgments, divorces, or lawsuits should contain some sort of identifying information you can verify. Criminal history checks will normally provide you with a date of birth and physical description, including any major scars or tattoos.

There are also specialized background check companies, such as Net Detective, who for a small fee, give you the ability to search all of the above records and more. You must do a little sleuth work of your own, though, and find out some important key identifiers from your new friend so you will know when you have found him or her.

Meeting on the Internet can be exciting. You must just ensure you go about it prudently, and protect yourself until you have solid facts reinforcing your ability to put your trust into your new friend.

The Discreet People Search

For sometime, you have been uncomfortable at the job. A co-worker on the night shift strikes you
as odd. At times, he totally he freaks you out. Reporting the situation to the law or
management may be somewhat overboard at this point, yet you are still concerned. You recently
heard of the people search that can be performed online. Though very interested ,you are worried
about the background search getting back to you, or even worse, the shady individual are
researching. Is there actually a way to be discreet when finding out information about people?
Yes, you can certainly conduct a background check and people search discreetly. Let's first
discuss how public records are accessed to find people.

When looking to conduct a people search, one must first understand the definition of private and
public records. Personal files containing social security numbers, birth dates, medical and
financial information is considered private and not intended to be accessible during your people
search.

From public records, people searches can be performed all over the web, both free and fee based.
Finding out almost anything about anyone can be done on your basic browser via a typical search
engine. Below are six methods that work as great people finders, helping you to be discreet with
the search, while providing quality information at the same time.

JOT IT DOWN

Document every available fact about the person you are looking to find. This includes previous
addresses, schools, names of relatives, nicknames, a profession, and any other personal
information that may be relevant to the individual. This information will certainly aid when
seeking to conduct a people search in a search engine.

WHITE PAGES

The white pages are one of the first people searches you should conduct online. This free
service is very reputable with its ability to search public records within all 50 states and most
cities. You can also search strictly by last name, which may help find relatives of the actual
person you are seeking.

REVERSE SEARCHES

In the instance where you have a phone number or address for a person, you can perform a reverse people search. You can perform the people search for free through a search engine, but many companies offer this service online and provide you with more robust details.

MUTUAL ASSOCIATES

Contacting a mutual associate who also has ties with the person you are looking for is a good
idea. Whether it is a friendship or colleague, this could certainly help. They just may have
the missing information you need to perform an effective people search.

SOCIAL NETWORKS

Accessing popular social networks is perhaps the most underrated method of finding people.
Individuals are frequently posting personal information about themselves on various websites.
This includes photos, current jobs, professional backgrounds, aliases and much more. Some of the
most commonly used social networks to find people are Myspace, Facebook and Crushspot.

PUBLIC RECORDS

When all other sources have been exhausted, there is always the benefit of public records. These
public records are now available online and include registered sex offenders and other
individuals in your community.

IN CONCLUSION

If you are looking to shell out money, there are services that can provide you with a plethora of
detailed information for your people search, like at Net Detective. Or, you can conduct the people search yourself, and although you will not obtain as much information as a paid search, it is still effective nonetheless. With a bit of time and creative effort, you can find out information through your people search, either protecting you from a crazy co-worker or connecting you with your high school sweetheart.