Why you should always background check your online date

Nine-out-of-ten Americans are using online dating websites and mobile apps to look for suitable partners. According to Statista there are approximately 43.6 million paid users and 196.3 million unpaid users of online dating websites and mobile apps worldwide.

Browsing through online dating websites and using mobile apps for the same purpose no longer remain vocations of introvert people who find it difficult to talk to others face-to-face. Everybody these days looking for a date first checks out Tinder and other such platforms. But with the anonymity that dating sites provide, can you really trust who is on the other side of that profile you’re reading?

Lies That Online Daters Tell

According to a Psychology Today report, 53% of Americans reported having lied in their dating profiles in one of their surveys. Another report claims that 86% of online dating participants feel that people misrepresent their physical appearance when putting up their profiles on dating websites and mobile dating apps.

Just as simple as it is to register to an online dating website and browse profiles, it is also easy to fabricate profile details. Some common ways that people may represent themselves falsely include:

• Using a misleading profile pic (such as one from when they were younger or more fit)
• Presenting a misleading educational or professional background
• Pretending to have more money than they have
• Lying about height or weight
• Pretending to be younger than they really are

While these lies may seem harmless enough, nobody likes finding out that they’ve been lied to. Plus, there are other, less innocuous lies, that can cause even bigger concerns.

For example, the person you’re interested in might be pretending to be single when, in fact, they are married. They might be pretending to be someone who doesn’t exist — such as a military member or contractor overseas — who soon starts pressuring you for money. Or, they could be hiding something even worse, like a criminal record or history of stalking and domestic violence.

How Can You Find Out the Truth?

Anything and everything included on an online dating profile can be subject to misrepresentation. Luckily, there are ways to find out the truth. Perhaps the most surefire way to learn who your date really is will be performing an online background check.

It is very important that your potential date is subjected to some sort of background check before you decide to go ahead and meet in person. If the person has an excuse for why they cannot meet and instead want a long-distance relationship, you should likewise be wary. Before you get in too deep, your best bet is to perform a background check that includes a criminal record search.

A Few Red Flags

• He starts asking for money
• She asks for too-personal details, knowing quite well that no well-intentioned person would encourage you to do that so soon
• He gets serious way too fast, like saying he loves you within a date or two
• She makes excuses for never meeting, such as being stationed overseas
• He also makes excuses for video chats/Skype, so you can’t even see what he looks like
• If something just seems like it’s not right but you can’t put your finger on what it is
• If she seems too good to be true

How to Perform a Background Check in 3 Easy Steps

Whenever the issue of conducting a background check comes up, we usually think of a professional detective agency. Luckily, there are online background check companies that are much more affordable and convenient than private detectives.

Of course, there can be benefits to using a detective agency. Nevertheless, before approaching an investigator, try conducting your own background checks using websites that you can easily access from your computer or mobile phone.

1. Choose a dedicated online background check website

There are dedicated online background check websites that scour millions of websites, criminal records, social media profiles, deep web information, and more with the click of a button. This can save you countless hours of fruitless searches on Google that you may try to conduct yourself.

Read our reviews of the most recommended background check companies so that you choose one that is thorough and trustworthy. Some of the most highly recommended brands include:

2. Use the search feature or features that work with the information you have

On the best online background check websites, you’ll find multiple ways to search for the truth about people. One of these search options includes a people search. This allows you to search by name, city, state, and age. Input as much information as you have.

Another option is the phone search feature. This is perfect for when you move from messaging on an online dating site to talking on the phone or sending text messages. Just enter their phone number to get your report.

You can similarly perform searches by email addresses and social media accounts.

3. Receive your background report

The most recommended online background check companies will provide you with a background report in a matter of minutes. You’ll receive information such as the individual’s names, aliases, ages, education, work history, contact information, photographs, relatives (including spouses), social profiles, criminal records, sex offender information, arrest records, and more.

Use a background check service before meeting your date

The popular Netflix series “Dirty John” relates the true story of a woman who thought she found love on an online dating website. Instead, she married someone she didn’t know at all. It wasn’t until after her marriage that her daughters ran a criminal background check and discovered the extremely disturbing truth. If only the main character had chosen to perform an easy online background check from home, she could have completely avoided the nightmare that ensued.

Running a background check is a sure way of finding reliable information on your online date. You will receive a professional background report to review in a matter of minutes. When you were younger, you were probably taught never to meet a stranger off the internet. What has changed now?

Take your safety into your own hands by checking out the reviews of various background check services on our site.