Self Help

The fact that there are agencies and private investigators that specialize in background checks doesn’t mean that the task requires exceptional knowledge and skill. They may say that obtaining personal information is an art, but every art and skill can be learned.

Do not be afraid to try the task yourself. Background checks are daunting, but they are not impossible to do. You don’t have to have a gun or be a martial arts expert to do the tasks of a private investigator. If you know how to use a computer, then chances are you already know 50% of the trade.

Private investigators spend most of their time behind their desks searching for information in various databases available online. The Internet has definitely leveled the playing field as far as gathering data is concerned. Tom Selleck could be Magnum P.I. in real life if he has a laptop and Wi-Fi connection. As long as you know where to search and what to look for, you can expect modest rewards for your efforts.

Investigating Your Investigator

The life of a private investigator isn’t that all exciting. Don’t be deceived by the movies that you see. Stake outs are mainly done by the police, while wild car chases are definitely far from the mind of many investigators.

The fact that their investigative methods are not that adventurous doesn’t mean that you won’t get the desired results though. Many private investigators are very careful and meticulous in following the prescribed procedure in background checks. You shouldn’t be bothered by this. In fact, you should insist that everything should be done cleanly, especially when you’re going to use the obtained information as evidence in court.

Conduct your own personal background check on a private investigator before hiring his services. Make sure that he doesn’t have the propensity to turn a blind eye on the law when doing his job. Believe me, the law provides enough elbow room for them to do their jobs comfortably and efficiently.

Behind the Wheel

I bought my first car when I was 22. I only had a few thousand dollars in my savings account so I was only able to buy a second-hand unit. I would’ve wanted to settle with a hand-me-down from my dad, but our old station wagon was already begging to be laid to rest.

The car’s paint job and other external features looked like it was well taken care of. However, the sound of the engine told me otherwise. I should’ve thought twice about the car I eventually bought, but I was really excited to take it home.

My honeymoon period with my second-hand car didn’t last long. I soon took it to the repair-shop and spent hundreds of dollars for parts and services. A car’s exterior can be very deceiving indeed. I thought that the previous owner took very good care judging from outside appearances.

Spare yourselves from what I’ve gone through. It would be good if you conduct a background check on the previous owner of the car that you’re interested in. You’ll know a lot about the car by knowing its previous driver.

Spying on Yourself

Do you sometimes get that feeling that somebody’s following you? Some of my friends do. I’m not sure if their minds are just playing tricks on them, or if they are really being followed.

The thought and fear of being followed by somebody you do not know can be life-altering. It can be costly too as you might be prodded to invest in expensive and sophisticated security alarms and cameras just to make sure that you’re safe in your own home.

The best thing to do if you think that somebody is following or checking on you is to have a background check on yourself. The private investigator will be able to know who accessed your vital records and other personal data. Who knows, the one who’s spying on you might turn out to be somebody that you’ve also been looking for. But then again, maybe you’re just reading too many spy novels...

Haunted House

Have you already prepared your kids’ scary costumes? Halloween is just around the corner. I used to enjoy trick or treats, especially those who waived their right to the latter. The people in our village, especially the old ones, were very generous as my candy bag would be filled to the brim in less than an hour.

While I was allowed to stay out late during Halloween, there was one particular house where I was prohibited to go to. I didn’t know why back then. My mom would give me “the stare” whenever I pester her as to why she doesn’t want me anywhere near it.

Gossip soon caught up with my innocent mind. I found out that our neighbor was a drug addict. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but everybody seems convinced that he is smoking pot.

Kids can be very persistent, bold, and hard-headed. Don’t expect them to follow you when you tell them not to go to a particular house during trick or treat season. If you’re suspicious about a particular person in your neighborhood, conduct a background check on him. Who knows, he might turn out to be scarier than the ghosts that we fear.

Sorting Out Letters...

I get tons of mail every week. Most of them are legit, coming from relatives, friends, and of course, my ever so thoughtful credit card company reminding me to pay up.

There are times though, that I receive mails coming from somebody that I do not know. These letters usually ask for contributions for a project that would benefit the community. I’m not that well off, but I’m willing to shell out a few bucks as long as the project is good.

Many are quite reluctant though and they have good reasons to hesitate. There are solicitation letters that are fraudulent. It’s easy to save yourself from being conned in this manner. All you have to do is ignore it. It is easy, but it’s also detrimental to the community and the needy. What if it is legit?

If you really want to help, you could ask somebody to conduct a background check on the person or association distributing the letters. It may require a little effort from you, but it could be very well worth it especially if the project will also benefit you.

Background Checking the Person You Know the Most

Have you ever considered hiring somebody to conduct a background check on yourself? Don’t laugh, but I did. My friends thought that I was being silly. One even thought that I was narcissistic.

That silly thought turned out to be a stroke of genius for a former officemate of mine. Just about a year ago, Peter sent out resumes to four companies. His credentials were impressive. However, we were both surprised that none of the companies ever called him even for an initial interview.

I chanced upon one of the managers of the company where my friend applied. I asked him why Peter was rejected. He told me that Peter didn’t actually work for one of the companies that he claimed to be employed in for 2 years. I told Peter about it and he was shocked. I floated the idea that maybe he should ask somebody to conduct a background check on himself to see if every information about him is true and complete.

The one who investigated him also got a similar result. Puzzled and furious, he went back to that former company of his and asked why it was denying the fact that he had worked there for 2 years. It turned out that the omission was inadvertent and was just the result of an outdated database.

So, do you still think that a background check on oneself is silly?

Background Checks – More Than Just “Googling”

At this day and age when any information can easily be acquired from the Internet, you might probably dismiss the idea of hiring a professional to run a background check on somebody. This is very understandable. I mean, why spend on something that Google or Yahoo already provides for free?

Search engines are flawed though, as far as personal sleuthing is concerned. The information that they present is only as credible as the one who wrote and published it. Most of the time, the data about a person available on the Internet is provided for by the article’s subject himself.

It is very difficult to get unbiased information or opinion on the Internet. Since the primary purpose of maintaining a Web site or publishing the details contained therein is to promote its contents in a positive way, you can’t reasonably expect to find complete and concrete facts about a person online. Hence, you might want to consider hiring a person or an agency to come up with unadulterated facts OR why not conduct your own background checking?

Come on, you know you want to!