Why a Dating Background Check is Critical

What are the chances a dating background check could actually
save your life or protect you from a predator? Online Dating
Magazine's recent estimates report that more than 20 million
people use an online dating service every month. By sheer
numbers alone, chances are that you could run into an unsavory
character along your dating journey. But a criminal check could very
well turn up records about these individuals that could keep you
from harm.

Online dating provides people with a convenient and extremely
diverse world of new people to meet, but most of these companies
do very little to protect your safety. If you have tried to sign up for
one of these services, you already know that they didn't run a
criminal check on you or pass your name through a national sex
offender registry.

What makes people who are dating online particularly vulnerable is
they are often in a heightened emotional state and their normal
filters tend to be lowered. People don't like to be alone and are
often anxious to meet the "right" person The whole process can
cloud your good judgment and leave you open to those who would
take advantage of you, including criminals and sexual predators.

Plan to be Prepared

If you want to use an online dating service, first make a plan as to
how you will conduct yourself online, and be sure that includes a
dating background check before you meet someone face-to-face.
Also, follow these safety tips.

If you can afford to run a full background check (figure on spending
around $100), then hire a reputable company that has a decent
track record in the industry. A good one can be found here.

At a minimum, these are the things you want to look for:

1. Positive Identification - that the person is who they say they
are. Typically that entails running a social security search which
identifies the person's address history and aliases (akas). Note:
running a SS# search requires permission from the person you are
running the report on.

2. Credit history - if someone doesn't want you looking at their
credit, there is always a good reason for it, and it's never good
news.

3. Driving record - this report identifies whether the person has a
DUIs or traffic violations that could be of concern such as a hit and
run.

4. Marriage/Divorce records - obviously you want to know if your
date is actually married as many online daters are not looking for
long-term commitments.

5. Financial records - including tax liens, judgments, bankruptcies,
property ownership, UCC filings, air/vehicle ownership, civil suits,
etc.

6. Professional Licenses - verify if the person is really a doctor or
lawyer as well as corporate affiliations.

7. National criminal history and sex offender registry - this a no
brainer and should be your first and minimum step.

8. Employment history and education verification.

Online dating has expanded our social circles significantly making it
possible to find people with similar interests and desires with very
minimal effort. You can even hire people to do your matchmaking
searches for you. (click here for a matchmaker in Orange County,
CA).

But along with these great opportunities, you must also always
keep the risks in mind. It is distressing to speak with people who
still feel uncomfortable letting the other person know you are
checking them out. Just ask yourself, if they don't have anything to
hide, why would they mind? Besides, some searches can be done
completely anonymously.

If the online dating companies don't do it for you, then you have to
do it yourself.

Don't be silly, be safe! Run a dating background check now.