Liar, liar, pants on fire! Those may be the words you used as a child when you found out you were being deceived. Usually, when you are the victim of a lie, your feelings might be hurt and you may lose a bit of your childhood innocence. Repeated occurrences of deceit and deception make all of us less trusting. You may trust your mother or your best friend, but very few people trust strangers.
In the world we live in today, it is almost mandatory to check and verify before proceeding. Before you can be hired for a job, you may be required to undergo a drug screening test and a background check. When you apply for a mortgage, your credit report will be pulled to see if you are an acceptable candidate for the loan. Even colleges and universities may do a thorough vetting of your background before deciding to accept you as a new student. While this is usually not the case, they are required to obtain your consent before they decide to pull any type of records using your social security number.
Laws on background checks vary from state to state. There are laws that limit the amount and type of information an employer or landlord can obtain. There are laws that protect the civil rights of individuals. Chances are pretty good that if you are asking for money, want a job or need a driver’s license, some form of background check will be done.
Individuals who use online dating sites are particularly vulnerable to encountering individuals who like to embellish the truth. They lie because they have a low self image and want to look more accomplished and attractive to the opposite sex. They may have far more dangerous motives such as trying to scam a new acquaintance out of their life savings or even do them physical harm. While certainly not foolproof, doing a background check on someone you met on line does offer a certain level of protection. If you find out someone has an extensive criminal background, you may just want to cross them off your list of potential suitors.
There are no federal laws that protect you from picking the wrong online date. Individual state have passed bills and, in some cases, enacted laws to govern online dating sites. To this point in time, the legislation only makes online dating companies disclose whether or not they have performed a background check on all of the candidates looking to make a love connection. They may warn users to be careful about how they interact with people they want to meet. Basically, it is up to the individual to use common sense and think with their head and not their heart.
Categories: General Background Check Tips
