How to Effectively Verify Someone's Identity

It takes more than a handshake and goodbackground by checking if they live were they
intentions to establish trust and workingsay they do; if a person claimed to go to
relationships - it requires reliable information aboutColumbia University, it may be helpful to know if
the person you're dealing with. A people searchhe ever actually lived in New York. A good people
company can help fill in important personal - andsearch company reports on the last 10 years.
easy to miss - details, whether it's a simple• Criminal background. The first rule in
address history to track down lost friends to adating is safety, and a simple criminal background
property or criminal history before initiating acheck (including a sex offender search) is one
business transaction.form of protection.
Not all people searches give the same results.• Marriage and divorce records. Most
Basic address searches look up a current phonesearch companies don't do a nation-wide search
number and address; other searches focus onby default, so specify which states to check. If an
specific public records, such as registered sexaddress history reveals that someone has lived in
offenders, criminal and civil court cases, orTampa, Chicago, and Portland, check marriage
property and asset ownership. High-quality peopledivorce records for Florida, Illinois, and Oregon.
search companies use nationwide records going• Asset checks. Most problems in
back 10 to 15 years. A people search companyrelationships come from money. An asset check
provides information that you can use to makelooks for property and businesses owned by a
important decisions more safely and with betterperson, major assets like boats, bankruptcies, and
peace of mind. Know what to search for, so thatcivil judgments.
you get the information you need:Situation 3: Reconnecting
• What are you looking for?Most people have considered tracking down a
• What search includes that information?childhood friend, sweetheart, or military buddy, so
• What kind of personal information doit's natural that the most common type of people
you need to provide?search is an address history. A first step may be
• What kind of search report does thea fast white pages search using a name and
people search company provide?address, but most people move several times
Situation 1: Businessover their life time, and frequently change their
There are a variety of business situations wherenames, such as a woman taking her husband's
it is important to verify a person's identity andname or a person going by their middle name or
credibility in advance, especially in twonickname.
commonly-overlooked areas:A people search company, unlike telephone white
• Before hiring a contractor, check if hepages, doesn't need current information to find
has a history of bankruptcies, claims against hissomebody because they cover multiple databases
work, or tax liens - all indications that his businessthat include old records. A competent people
integrity is not worth your investment. Since asearch company will be able to locate almost
contractor will spend a lot of time around youranyone by searching a variety of resources -
home and family, do a criminal or sex offenderpublic records, military records, even boat
background check.ownership. The more information you can supply,
• When you buy a big-ticket item online,the easier the location search is, but you only
like a car or jewelry, make sure that the seller isneed to know three things for a people search
who they claim to be (address history) andcompany to initiate a search:
legitimately owns those items (asset search). A• Name (first and last, even a maiden
good idea may also be to run a criminalname or alias)
background check, to look for red flags like fraud• Any city the person has lived in (not
or theft convictions.necessarily their current address)
Situation 2: Online Dating• Approximate age (an option to help
Online dating has become mainstream, but it is stillnarrow results)
difficult to determine someone's honesty throughFor instance, a person may know that Martha
pixels and email. Any kind of people search canSmith lived in Bakersfield in 1994. Using a
help identify potential problems; the more in-depthcombination marriage records and old phone
searches offer even more peace of mind:directories, the people search company can
• Address history. An address history isidentify her as Martha Jones living in San Mateo in
a starting point that sketches in a person'sJune 2007.