- 1). Search several websites for free, but remember that most offer limited "views" of a person's status. For example, you may discover that someone got married, but you don't know that they also got divorced unless you buy extended access to a site.
- 2). Read the fine print carefully and keep your credit card in your wallet.
- 3). Expand your reach.If you think the individual you are researching has lived in several states or even countries, use numerous sites.
- 4). Pursue all leads. Use your network of contacts in your ISP's address book to research people. You'd be surprised how interconnected we truly are.
- 5). Follow up on your hunches. Instincts are as important as facts when it comes to background research. If someone tells you they haven't done jail time and you sense they're lying, call all the local prisons and ask to speak to the warden or administrator. You may not be given easy access, but if you put your request in writing you should at least get to the right individual who has information you need.
- 6). Check with the local mental health clinics if you sense that someone may have mental health or sexual abuse issues. You can't call all the clinics in the country, but start locally. While some people travel, many people stay in their own back yard for years and may never leave.
- 7). Update your contact list. The trick to gaining free information is making sure all information you already have on hand is up to date. Updates should be done every six months. People switch jobs, lose jobs and homes and move out of the country. Follow the web of your network and you will land the information you require. And with any luck, that new hire or new boyfriend of your dreams is just as perfect as he seems.
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