There is a great thread over on BackGroundChatter.com about screening your romantic interests. It has become a big topic of debate amongst those of you that choose to go the route of Internet dating. I would like to know some of your opinions on the matter. Below is an article I have written that deals with some of the pitfalls of online dating.

Online dating services can be tricky. Many people get lulled into a false sense of security when they meet someone “online”. Don’t fall into that trap. Make sure you check out whatever dating service you are going to use. This can be just as important as checking out the person you are going to be dating. Look for services that offer personality profiles as well as background checks on it’s members.

When you find someone make sure that you do not reveal too much about yourself initially. Keep it on a first name or “nickname” basis only until your are satisfied that the person you are conversing with is safe. Don’t tell them what town or what street you live on. Many people provide clues as to where they live without even realizing it. Do not just meet the person on a whim. Make sure you speak to them via the phone first. Also make sure that you have their correct information.

Even if the dating service provides a background check you may want to conduct your own independently. At the very least you want to make sure they have no criminal record. You may also want to conduct a background check of their “online identity”. This consists of going to search engines and typing in their name and nickname they may use online. Many private investigators provide this service and can dig up information where the general consumer can not. It may be worth it just to know for sure. Most importantly, when your are finally going to meet your dream date. Pick a public area that is well lit and where you feel safe. You may want to bring a friend in case things don’t go as planned.

So now you have finally met Mr. or Ms. Perfect and things seem to be going great! I know I may sound like a overprotective mother here but you must remember you really still do not know this person. Initially be wary. The first few dates keep your guard up. Keep an eye on your personal belongings. Many a person has been taken in by Internet con-men to have their identity stolen or worse. If you pay for dinner with a credit card keep an eye on it and the receipts. This goes for your ID, SS Card, as well.

Ok so things aren’t going so well. What happens if for some reason the relationship goes south. Hopefully this will not happen to you but it has been known to occur. If after just a short time you find that you are not compatible with the person let them know right away. Again, this may be a good time for a public area and a friend in tow. Hopefully that will be the end of it, but if things heat up and the person will not leave you alone there are some things you can do. Currently there are laws on the books that protect you from stalking. There is a federal law along with many state and local laws. See the bottom of this article for additional anti-stalking resources. And please this is not meant to scare you off from on-line fun, but please be careful out there.

Additional Resources:
TechTV.Com
iVillage.Com

Stalking:
To obtain a guide for stalking victims, write or call the National Center for Victims of Crime2111 Wilson Blvd.Ste. 300, Arlington, VA 22201Phone: (800) FYI-CALL or (703) 276-2880Web: http://www.ncvc.org/

Websites:
Stalking Behavior, by D. T. Coon http://www.stalkingbehavior.com/
Los Angeles Co. District Attorney http://www.lovemenot.org/
AXIS Intervention & Training Institute http://www.stalkingrescue.org/
Stalking Victims’ Sanctuary, by Linden Gross http://www.stalkingvictims.com/
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse http://www.privacyrights.org/
Anti Stalking website, by Doreen Orion, MD http://www.antistalking.com/
Gavin de Becker, Inc. threat assessment & protection services http://www.gdbinc.com/
“Stalking through the Courts,” by Janet Normalvanbreucher www.gate.net/~liz/liz/FRtactic.html
The Stalking Assistance Site, Kim Kelly & Joann Ugolini http://www.stalkingassistance.com/
Working to Halt Online Abuse http://www.haltabuse.org/
Safety Ed International http://www.safetyed.org/

Well well well! Here I am again, late as usual. One good thing though, I am ready to discuss another installment of how to conduct your own free background checks.

In this installment we are going to learn how to verify someones education. It is pretty simple and I am only going to cover the basics, but that should be enough to get you going.

First you are going to need the persons name and the year they graduated. You can sometimes do without the year of graduation but it makes it easier. Second you are going to need to know what school they attended. Once you have those it is just a simple matter of calling the registrars office and confirming this information.

In this example we are going to pretend that our subject attended Ohio State University, the best college in the universe. So first I get the phone number for the registrars office via Yahoo or one of the major search engines. Now if you notice the phone number is at the bottom of the page. You can also request online information. A typical phone call may go something like this.

OSU: Hello, registrars office.
You: Hey how ya doin today?
OSU: Very good, sir and or madam how can I help you.
You: Well, I have a person that applied for a job and they said that they attended and graduated from your fine educational facility there.
OSU: Ok sir what is the name and the year they graduated.
You: His name is Les Horvath and he graduated in 1942.
OSU: Why yes sir. Les graduated in 1942 with a bachelors degree.
You: That’s just peachy! Thanks for the information. Have a great day sir and or madam.

Easy as pie! Just so you know not all educational facilities will allow you to just call up and ask questions about former or current students. You may need a signed release from the individual and they may only confirm or deny information that the subject supplied to you.

This is the 4th in my series. Next time I am going to teach you how to crawl inside someones mind and extract their thoughts directly from their brain. Ha ha just kidding I wanted to see if you were paying attention.

Litigation continues to be a concern for the consumer reporting industry. Such issues as reasonable procedures, willful or negligent violations, identity theft and others have made monitoring potential litigation more critical than ever. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to become educated on the latest litigation trends.

Jean Noonan, Partner with Hudson Cook and formerly with the Federal Trade Commission in the Bureau of Consumer Protection will discuss recent trends in consumer credit litigation, and its impact on creditors and others in the consumer reporting industry.

Discussion will include the latest developments in the following areas:

Reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy

Willful and negligent violations as a result of reliance on counsel

Class action litigation

Date: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EDT
Speaker: Jean Noonan, Partner with Hudson Cook, LLP
Moderator: Eric J. Ellman, Vice President and Counsel of State Government and Federal Regulatory Affairs
Cost: $65 How to Comply with the FCRA Subscribers
$85 CDIA Members
$125 Non-Members & Data Furnishers/Users

For More Info About The CDIA Training Go Here

I will be continuing my series on how to conduct a free background check on Monday. Just a heads up for those of you that are hanging out at my blog all day waiting for my next invaluable nugget of information. Now go enjoy your weekend.

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