Archive for the ‘Public Records’ Category
The articles below range from Reviews of different Lost-Friends-Board services to Online Scam Alerts to handy helpful hints, all in the name of safe-keeping. I hope you enjoy them! (Got an idea for a great new article? Drop me a note.)
Kim on August 30th, 2011
Have you ever thought about delving into your family history? Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned expert, genealogy can be a fascinating adventure. You may just want to know a bit more about your family tree or the origin of your last name. Or perhaps you want to jump in full force and research your family history as far as you can. Regardless of your interest, we have some pointers to help you get started.
The Basics
The best place to begin your ancestry search is with you. Start there and work your way backward one step at a time. Gather together all of the details you have including important papers, family heirlooms, photos and documents. Check with other family members to see if they have any family documents, a family bible, old photographs, obituaries or other clues to your family history. You would be surprised where clues can be found. Even an old postcard, newspaper clipping or letter could lend information for your ancestry search.
Getting Organized
After you’ve begun gathering data, the next step is to narrow your focus. Choose a specific ancestor or family line to concentrate on. This will reduce the odds that you miss important details due to overloading yourself. Let’s face it, as excited as you will be on this journey of discovery, you cannot do it all at once.
Now it’s time to organize all of the information you have collected. Compile a chart showing the names of your immediate ancestors. You will want to list their dates of birth, marriage and death along with the locations of each event. You can do this by writing the information down or you can purchase a specialty software program to record and organize the data. This will not only help you keep track of the information, it will help to clarify relationships and show you where you are missing information. As we mentioned, start with yourself and work backward one generation at a time.
Filling in the Gaps
Now that you have accumulated all of the information you can from family members, attics, family bibles and photo albums, you need to fill in the gaps. In the past, genealogy fanatics were forced to do most of their research by traveling to courthouses, libraries and cemeteries. Today’s researchers have a distinct advantage with the ability of doing all or most of their research online.
Birth, death, marriage and divorce records are crucial tidbits of information that can help you fill in the gaps. Other interesting sources of research are criminal and property records. If you want to save time and money, use a site that can help you access all of the records you need. We recommend Net Detective.
Remember always record the source of any information you find. Once you spend a few hours researching your ancestry, you will be enthralled. Genealogy can be a very rewarding hobby.
The articles below range from Reviews of different Lost-Friends-Board services to Online Scam Alerts to handy helpful hints, all in the name of safe-keeping. I hope you enjoy them! (Got an idea for a great new article? Drop me a note.)
Admin on August 30th, 2011
I wanted to put as much distance between my ex boyfriend and myself
When relationships end badly, people sometimes have a tendency to move on, forget about the other person, and try to eliminate all evidence of that person from their lives. Most people have a breakup like this in their past, if not more than one. Even I myself have had one or two relationships leave my head spinning. When it happened to me, I wanted to put as much distance between my ex boyfriend and myself.
Now years have passed, and I wonder what ever happened to him. Time has healed the wounds of that breakup and I remember the good times, knowing I did have a good friend all those years ago. What’s he up to now? Does he have a wife and a family? Did he follow his dream to become an architect? How are his parents and siblings, people I grew to like during our relationship?
These questions are a little easier to answer with things like MySpace and Facebook, but they don’t always work. In fact, all a person needs to do to hide themselves on one of these social sites is either not sign up or hide their profile. And in my case the act of not finding my ex made me want to find them even more!
Now, granted, my search isn’t as dire as it could be. We don’t share belongings, children, property, or anything else. It’s been a very long time since our relationship ended and I’m really searching him out for my own curiosity. Some of my friends have had more serious situations where an ex skipped town leaving no information behind. Adult relationships like theirs tend to need more time to unravel. Sometimes you share responsibilities like rent payments, belongings or even kids. No matter the circumstances, finding an ex—be it a boyfriend/girlfriend, fiancé, spouse, or long-term partner—gets a lot easier thanks to background checking sites.
I’ve often recommended NetDetective.com to my friends
I’ve often recommended NetDetective.com to my friends in these situations. For just $2.95, you get unlimited access to background checks, marital or divorce records, and contact information like phone numbers and addresses. I was able to find my old boyfriend with an address search and now we correspond regularly.
For some of my friends, NetDetective did even more to give them peace of mind. Not only could they find their ex quickly and anonymously, but also they were able to gain the restitution they needed to get past the breakup and heal their wounds. For them, and for me, seeking out an ex with NetDetective.com was a positive experience.
The articles below range from Reviews of different Lost-Friends-Board services to Online Scam Alerts to handy helpful hints, all in the name of safe-keeping. I hope you enjoy them! (Got an idea for a great new article? Drop me a note.)
Kim on August 30th, 2011
We do our best to protect our privacy. We have an unlisted phone number, use a post office box to receive our mail and perhaps we are listed on the Do Not Call Registry. What about our digital privacy?
The Digital Age – Offline
We live in a world of digital data that generates an information trail as we e-mail, shop with loyalty cards, surf the Web and even as we make wireless calls. As technology becomes more powerful and sophisticated, the issue of digital privacy is rapidly becoming a concern. No longer is a locked front door an impenetrable barrier to outsiders.
We surrender vast amounts of personal data through our every day ordinary transactions such as buying groceries and filling a prescription, to buying gas or applying for a credit card. There are private data brokers who amass this information and merge it with public data obtained from public records, including courthouse and criminal records. These companies are now heavily relied upon for law enforcement and homeland security. Their growth has been staggering. Thousands of agencies at all levels of government spend hundreds of millions of dollars on contracts with private data brokers.
Ever used a grocery store bonus or member card? You provide some basic details such as your name, address and telephone number and you are issued a card. Did you realize this card has all that information encoded into its magnetic strip? Over time that card will help the store accumulate a detailed chronicle of your shopping habits. The store owns the data and they can use it or sell it as they choose. And, you thought it was a simple discount card!
The Digital Age – Online
On the Internet, we have little control over much of the information we might prefer the public not have access to, such as what our home looks like (see Google Street View) to our age (see Spock.com). Mergers and acquisitions have amassed digital data and put it into the greedy hands of the Internet conglomerates. To further their knowledge of their customers, Internet service providers partner with digital technology companies like Phorm in order to record and analyze customer activity.
We sacrifice our privacy the moment we purchase goods or services on the net, allowing cookies to be implanted on our computers. E-commerce also enables marketers of all kinds to capture our Internet buying and surfing habits. This means that e-stores know more about our desires than we may know ourselves. This is unconscious activity that compromises our privacy. Unfortunately, the conscious activity is far more prevalent and possibly more dangerous. We are referring to the phenomenon of social networking sites where we are encouraged share our personal details, thoughts, photos and videos with an ever expanding community of “friends.”
Social networking sites are inherently set up to encourage users to share as much as possible, as often as possible, as publicly as possible. Their motivation is intentional because these sites succeed by increasing the activity within the network. Of course there are privacy settings to limit access to some data, but these settings are typically never the default. Only a minority of users make the effort to change their privacy settings. The rest of the users share all of their details with the world.
Boundary Setting
Setting the boundaries of what you share with the world is up to you. In our next article, we will give you tips for protecting your privacy in the digital age.
The articles below range from Reviews of different Lost-Friends-Board services to Online Scam Alerts to handy helpful hints, all in the name of safe-keeping. I hope you enjoy them! (Got an idea for a great new article? Drop me a note.)
Admin on August 30th, 2011
Looking for a Court Records Site? Do Not Pay For One Until You Have Read This!
Avoid the Scams whether it’s Birth Records, Criminal Records, Court Records, Divorce Records, Arrest Records, Marriage Records, Convictions, or Sex Offenders you’re looking for!
My Methods
In this article I have reviewed my Top 2 Court Records search sites so that you don’t have to waste your time exploring all the dead ends. After signing up for dozens of services, I ranked them in terms of accuracy, size, ease of use, and customer awareness. My findings apply to all of the popular Public Record sites listed in the major search engines! (Google, MSN, Yahoo)
How Accurate are Court Records Sites?
- No public record finder site is 100% accurate. Here is why:
- For instance, if James Jones just moved to a new state, it’ll take time for Court Records databases to update his records from government agencies, banks, and other private sources.
- While some sources update in days, others take weeks, and some only update annually. That’s why it’s best to pick the largest database like I did!
- After a bunch of digging, talking to private investigators and industry people, and using all the major services, I’ve come up with the findings below.
Results May Shock You!
What was amazing was how inconsistent results were! After joining dozens of “Court Records search” sites and searching for people I knew (friends, family, celebrities), about 7 out of 10 sites could not locate records of any people I knew… anywhere!
The good news: The 2 sites below all have solid reputations and positive customer feedback. They will save you time and money and get you the most accurate Court Records, hands down. Here they are, in order of rank:
#1 Net Detective
- > The largest database I’ve seen (over 1.1 billion people records!)
- > Consistently correct results
- > Private eyes use it!
- > Excellent customer service
- > 90 day money back guarantee
- > Unlimited Searches
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Click Here to Visit
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Net Detective has always outperformed the rest for me. Give it a test drive and you’ll probably agree Net Detective has all you need to become your own Internet Detective. Look up anyone–old friends, potential babysitters, bosses, employees, etc. And don’t miss out on the extra features like How-to Articles, Free Identity Theft Kit, and more. This is a great Court Records service overall.
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#2 Background Searcher
- > Accurate Database, not the Largest
- > Quality Results
- > Good service
- > 60 Day Guarantee
- > Unlimited Searches
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The name says it all: Background Searcher is a solid tool for locating anyone anywhere in the U.S. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles nor size of database compared to Net Detective, but with a money back guarantee and unlimited searches you cannot go wrong with this online service.
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Final Word
Please… do your own testing and comparison of Court Records, background records, and Court Records sites. There are so many out there–just Google “Court Records”. While my preferred tool meets my needs, your needs may be different from mine! Best of luck and happy digging!
The articles below range from Reviews of different Lost-Friends-Board services to Online Scam Alerts to handy helpful hints, all in the name of safe-keeping. I hope you enjoy them! (Got an idea for a great new article? Drop me a note.)
Admin on August 30th, 2011
“WARNING: Beware Of Online Scams!
I Can’t Believe The Money I’ve Lost On These So Called Background Check Sites……”
And if there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that you can’t always believe what companies claim on their sites. It’s ridiculous and I’m frustrated to be honest with you. That’s one of the reasons why I made this site. There are many reasons why people need background checks done. I’m a parent, and let me tell you I don’t want some sex offender or deadbeat anywhere near my child!
For The Job…
Background tools are incredibly beneficial for a company also. For instance, I work from home and have to hire people occasionally. When you work from home it’s harder to make sure people are doing their job reliably because you can’t see them. So, by searching people’s background records we can see patterns in their past that will give us a better chance of finding reliable people. If you are bringing people into your office then you definitely want to know what type of person he or she is before they become a part of your environment.
Jump to my Top Pick for Background Checks!
So, I’m A Cheapskate… 
I tried to do the Cheap/Free approach at first. It’s kind of silly actually to think of how much time I wasted. (Em, not really!!) So picture this…here I am doing searches on Google for a guy that I interviewed. Then, I think I found him. I click on the link and it’s another search box wanting me to search for him again. So, I do and they want me to purchase before I see anything. So, I keep looking and finally figured out that I’m not going to find zilch until I purchase one of these things. I went through about 10 of them before I finally found the data. Then, I start going through my list to get a refund. Do these companies even know what in the world customer service is????
And The Winner Is…(Drumroll please)
Anyway, that was a debacle and I learned the hard way. But, the site I found the data on is called “Net Detective.” I was actually surprised because it was a fair price according to the other sites out there. I got unlimited background check searches, which by the way helps a lot because some of those guys charge you up front then want to charge you every time you search. Sheesh! One of the other things I thought was really cool with Net Detective was that they gave me a phone number to call if I had trouble. So, I couldn’t find this one person I was looking for info on and wanted to see if there was a better way. Rather than telling me the better way they actually looked up the record for me. Is that cool or what?
Click Here For Net Detective!*
* Includes Free Sex Offender Map! (effective. Jan 1, 2010)
So, thanks for listening to me ramble on… Anyways, I hope you’ll find this helpful to stay out of trouble when it comes time to do some effective background records searching online.
Tags: background check, background checks, best background check, criminal background search, ncic background check, background search, background records, background report.
The articles below range from Reviews of different Lost-Friends-Board services to Online Scam Alerts to handy helpful hints, all in the name of safe-keeping. I hope you enjoy them! (Got an idea for a great new article? Drop me a note.)
Admin on August 30th, 2011
“WARNING: Beware Of Online Scams!
I Can’t Believe The Money I’ve Lost On These So Called Background Check Sites……”
And if there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that you can’t always believe what companies claim on their sites. It’s ridiculous and I’m frustrated to be honest with you. That’s one of the reasons why I made this site. There are many reasons why people need background checks done. I’m a parent, and let me tell you I don’t want some sex offender or deadbeat anywhere near my child!
For The Job…
Background tools are incredibly beneficial for a company also. For instance, I work from home and have to hire people occasionally. When you work from home it’s harder to make sure people are doing their job reliably because you can’t see them. So, by searching people’s background records we can see patterns in their past that will give us a better chance of finding reliable people. If you are bringing people into your office then you definitely want to know what type of person he or she is before they become a part of your environment.
Jump to my Top Pick for Background Checks!
So, I’m A Cheapskate…
I tried to do the Cheap/Free approach at first. It’s kind of silly actually to think of how much time I wasted. (Em, not really!!) So picture this…here I am doing searches on Google for a guy that I interviewed. Then, I think I found him. I click on the link and it’s another search box wanting me to search for him again. So, I do and they want me to purchase before I see anything. So, I keep looking and finally figured out that I’m not going to find zilch until I purchase one of these things. I went through about 10 of them before I finally found the data. Then, I start going through my list to get a refund. Do these companies even know what in the world customer service is????
And The Winner Is…(Drumroll please)
Anyway, that was a debacle and I learned the hard way. But, the site I found the data on is called “Net Detective.” I was actually surprised because it was a fair price according to the other sites out there. I got unlimited background check searches, which by the way helps a lot because some of those guys charge you up front then want to charge you every time you search. Sheesh! One of the other things I thought was really cool with Net Detective was that they gave me a phone number to call if I had trouble. So, I couldn’t find this one person I was looking for info on and wanted to see if there was a better way. Rather than telling me the better way they actually looked up the record for me. Is that cool or what?
Click Here For Net Detective!*
* Includes Free Sex Offender Map! (effective. Jan 1, 2010)
So, thanks for listening to me ramble on… Anyways, I hope you’ll find this helpful to stay out of trouble when it comes time to do some effective background records searching online.
Tags: background check, background checks, best background check, criminal background search, ncic background check, background search, background records, background report.
The articles below range from Reviews of different Lost-Friends-Board services to Online Scam Alerts to handy helpful hints, all in the name of safe-keeping. I hope you enjoy them! (Got an idea for a great new article? Drop me a note.)
Admin on August 30th, 2011
Everywhere you turn people are requesting your Social Security Number, and this mainstream way of doing things may have most people convinced that this is a mandatory part of the process for you to sign up for some internet service or other organization. This is not the case, you are not even required to give it to your doctor, unless you have Medicare or Medicaid. People will badger you about getting it, and it may be a fight not to give it to them, you may even have to talk to 8 or 10 different people to resolve the issue in your favor. This is nothing compared to the time and money you will spend trying to undo the damage identity theft will cause for you. It is becoming an epidemic. In 2005 8.3 million Americans were victims of this crime, and with more online shopping and signups this is booming more than ever.
Credible companies do not have the intention of stealing your social security number, but they cannot possible know what each and every employee’s true intentions are. This is just life that applies in a lot of different aspects, but it just means they we as individuals need to take extra care to protect ourselves.
Other ways of identity theft is through a stolen computer. Where do they store everything? In a computer or laptop. Within the last few years all of the following companies have had sensitive information stolen from their systems:
- Home Depot
- Citigroup
- Gap
- Hartford Financial Services
- AT&T
- Pfizer
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,
- the government of Great Britain
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Time Warner
and many other organizations. Also in March of 2006 two of Verizon’s company laptops were stolen, putting many employees at risk for identity theft. Unfortunately, that is where you need to give your Social Security Number is to your employer. You can always refuse, but because employers usually like to conduct background checks and other in depth checks, they will probably refuse to hire you as well. Your bank is also another mandatory place to give your Social to so they are able to comply with federal law, and very VERY few others. These are already two different places that have the most important information that you have, so anywhere else use discretion.
Let’s say your stolen identity is resolved right away and your bank refunds everything returns to normal. Your information can still be out there and other accounts may be opened in your name, which you may not find about for years. So lets say 5 years later you try and apply for a loan to buy a house, but you have $1 million dollars in debt? The best thing to do is to keep your personal information as personal as possible. Nobody ever needs your SS# when ordering something online or for signing up. There is no reason.
Gaurd yourself, because you are the only person you can 100% trust.
Be smart. Be safe. Be in control.
~ Belle
The articles below range from Reviews of different Lost-Friends-Board services to Online Scam Alerts to handy helpful hints, all in the name of safe-keeping. I hope you enjoy them! (Got an idea for a great new article? Drop me a note.)
Admin on August 30th, 2011
BEWARE of Those Around You!
We’re your typical American small family: one child, one car, and very little savings. So when the opportunity came around to buy a new home we were floored with excitement!
Having just moved from Arizona, we knew we wanted to rent for a while and check out the neighborhoods one by one. We followed Orlando’s guidebooks and strolled through up-and-coming neighborhoods and talked to locals to get the vibe.
Search Public Records Securely
When it came to picking a neighborhood, my concerns naturally had to do with access to schools, life and culture, and the kind of people surrounding us. I also wanted to know if there were any sex offenders living nearby. While you can’t just go *ask* your neighbors about these things, I was able to find all kinds of good, useful in public records web sites.
I’ve tried a bunch of sites, and the one I recommend far and away is to me the most comprehensive. To find out which one it is, read my SCAM Alert! If staying safe is important, this recommendation is worth every penny, and it lets you go much deeper than I had expected!
How Deep?
For instance, I found out I could research home-owners by typing in an address. So here I am, a potential home-buyer, and there I went, searching neighborhoods near and far. I took a bunch of screen shots (see below) of public records data such as:
- Home purchase date
- Home purchase price
- Estimated home value
- Neighbors, including all of the above data for each one
So, when my husband and I found a potential house, I gathered as much info as possible. I didn’t want to be dreaming about a place whose neighbors were convicted sex offenders or had criminal records longer than a laundry list!
As it turns out, the house we liked had neighbor with several charges for “illegal drug possession”–we even wondered if he’d been growing stuff right there in his house which looked looked perfectly nice from the outside! In any case, there were a few other things besides this that ultimately convinced us to hold off and wait for the perfect home. Thank goodness for public records!
Hey, I’m sorry if you wanted to hear all about our dream home! But this story does have a happy ending. We’re safe and sound and we know our future house is… worth the wait, and the research. So Be Safe, Be Smart, Be in Control!
~ Belle
