Are you sure that the person you’re dating or communicating with online doesn’t have a criminal record? Would it change your relationship if they were had a criminal record, or if they are a registered sex offender?

While these details used to be impossible to know for sure, today’s technology gives daters easy tools to uncover the truth. Intuition can only get you so far, and with more and more people using dating apps, the risks are real; Even if someone seems honest, they might not be who they say they are. According to eHarmony.com, 53% of people lie on their dating profiles. While these lies are often about age or height, others can be more serious (such as income and job).

No one wants to be lied to, but trust and hope prevent many daters from doing a background check on their current or future dates. Before you, a friend, or a family member meet someone for drinks, send them a love letter, or invite them into your home, be sure to do it the smart way. Online background checks are fast, easy, and no one else needs to know that you performed one!

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3 Reasons Why You Need to Run a Dating Background Check

Safety

Online dating is for everyone. Millions of Americans now agree that it can be an excellent way to meet people and Pew Research reports that online and app dating has jumped among adults under 25 and also those in their 50’s and 60’s. Unfortunately, this means that at every junction in life, there will be people in that age group who are dating and at risk.

Many times daters aren’t armed with the safety tools they need when putting themselves in particular situations. Especially with people they barely even know. As recently as of 2018, the F.B.I. has stated that reports of rape increased by .6%, also while other types of crimes (murder, aggravated assaults) have decreased in number.

Another concern is the risk of being kidnapped and forced into human trafficking, which is now found in all 50 States. Not only is it imperative to protect yourself, but it’s also important to remind anyone who dates online to be cautious. It’s best if they perform a background check on their date and only meet in public locations.

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To Prevent Fraud

Romance scams are an ongoing, serious problem worldwide. They happen when someone pretends to be a dater interested in a serious, lasting commitment but is only involved in scamming you out of money! According to the F.B.I., these types of scams cost daters over $230 million in 2016 alone. The reports given to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center are only a fraction of the total number of crimes (many people remain too embarrassed to report).

A romance scammer is often someone who lives outside of the United States, and the money you send them will never be reclaimed. Don’t fall in love with someone online only to find out they are a scammer whose identity doesn’t even exist. Older daters are particularly vulnerable to romance scams, with people who are 70+ being the most susceptible.

Peace of Mind

New relationships are tricky enough without wondering if you’re dating someone who has the profession they claim to have. If you ask your fellow online daters, most will have stories of someone who tricked them online. They might have looked very different than their profile photo, secretly lived overseas, or pretended to have a great job when they were unemployed. While a background check won’t guarantee that your relationship will work out in the long term, it can tell you if this person is worth your time and energy.

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How to Run a Dating Background Check

Check Criminal Records

Most people with a criminal record will do whatever they can to hide it. The first method to search through each State’s criminal record reporting (courts included). The F.B.I. accesses each state’s system for their national criminal records. All of these should be included in a background check, which is why many people choose to do a simple background for the most accurate results:

Check Sex Offender Registry

Whether you have kids, want kids, or live nearby houses with children, no one wants to find out they’re dating a sex offender. Thankfully, there are many online tools to identify predator. The National Sex Offender Registry allows you to search in the state you live and, typically, provides you with the address and image for each registered offender.

Find Their Social Media Profiles

While you can search each social media site, one at a time, the fastest and most comprehensive way to search is through an algorithm based search on Social Catfish. Social’s Catfish utilizes proprietary tools which allow users to search by name, username, profile image, email address, and phone number. The benefit is that you will be provided with exact and similar results. The great thing is after you get the report, the site’s settings will update results, even when you’re not online. Go to Social Catfish and search by each of the five methods:

You deserve to find out the identity of who you date online. Many of our members want more complex results and prefer the help of a Search Specialist. Our Search Specialist will be a real, live human who listens to your concerns and pursues all online avenues.

Doing so to determine whether or not the individual you’re connecting with is a real-life person who is telling the truth. Before you send another message or swipe right, get help with a background check and find out everything you need to know!

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