Did you know that files created during a divorce proceeding are public information? That's right, all the dirty secrets couples hurl at one another when they go through a divorce can be viewed by anyone.
If you know the man you are dating has gone through a divorce and you'd like to do some checking, first find out where the divorce took place. Most divorces are handled at the county level so you'll need to know not only what state the divorce happened in, but the county as well. The files from the case are kept at the probate court and all you need to do is walk in with a name (the more information you have, the better, like the date and wife's name) and request the file. It's yours to view and copy if you'd like.
There may be some restrictions on viewing, for example, I was not allowed to open certain envelopes in the file that contained financial information, but there was plenty of dirt to be had even without those documents.
Remarkably, social security numbers are often present in the documents. It's not a bad idea to copy down your man's social security number. If you want to do a more thorough check on the guy, and you're willing to spend a little money, a private investigator can run several reports using the social security number. Their reports provide a history of addresses, assets owned by the individual including homes, cars and boats, names of relatives, and individuals living nearby. You may also receive a criminal history if it exists.
I viewed a divorce file after I'd broken up with the man, because I was curious. For three years I had heard his side of the story and he made his ex sound like a crazy woman. But after reviewing the file, I can tell you that they both were odd and each contributed to the demise of the relationship in equal fashion.
Most recently I have been researching an aunt who led a very secretive life with huge gaps missing when her family knew nothing of her whereabouts. One of the primary sources of information was her divorce file. I did not know exactly where to look for it, but through some leads, I finally found it in Ely, Nevada.
The file, dated 1948, was over 200 pages. It answered many questions her family had about her life in the 40s. The most interesting part of her divorce file was the exhibits. Her husband accused her of being an unfit mother because she had affairs. To prove that, he submitted dozens of love letters she received (through an accomplice who testified for the husband) from a man in another state. It was incredible to read these letters, written over 60 years ago, and to learn this new information. Without the divorce file, we never would have known what really happened.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Check out Spokeo.com
I previously wrote about Yoname.com which is a social networking aggregator, or a site that searches multiple social networking sites. Another good site to try is Spokeo.com. If you have an email address for someone you'd like to check out, enter it into Spokeo and Spokeo quickly and easily grabs content from across the web. It returns other social networking sites where the individual is registered.
A successful search depends on the tools you're using. I have found that no one tool is perfect and that the most successful searches involve multiple search tools.
Yesterday I joined Emailfinder.com which cost $1.95 per month for a membership (charged one year at a time). In most cases the email addresses returned were old, out-of-date and not useful. It did however, return information on a case I have been working on.
I had an email address that I had picked up along the search path but couldn't verify it belonged to the subject. I ran it through all my sources, but it just didn't connect to known activity for the individual. But when I ran it through Emailfinder.com it connected to a social networking site I didn't know about (and lots of photos of the subject). It also connected to her Twitter account, which I was aware of, but couldn't verify I had the right email address. Once it linked through Emailfinder.com to her Twitter account I knew that I had the right email address.
With every piece of verified information your search can expand. There are often nuggets of information on social networking sites (like friends and photos) that can lead to even more information about the subject.
It's also kind of interesting how I came up with the email address to begin with. I Googled the subject's name and explored all the links that came up. A couple of the links led me to other links and eventually to a website www.[her-name].com. But when I went to the website all that was there was a "parked" site with no information. I looked the domain name up through Whois.com and found that it was privately registered so I could not see who owned it.
Next I visited Archive.org and plugged the domain name into the Wayback Machine. The Wayback Machine archives websites periodically so you can "travel back" and see what they looked like previously. This site was archived in 2007 and when I clicked to view the archive it loaded a site full of images. The images were no longer available so the site looked like a grouping of empty boxes with no text at all. Seemed useless. But, I started clicking on different sections of the site and low and behold, one click brought up a link to the email address that appeared when it opened in my mail program.
Searching takes time. I usually spend a good 3-4 hours just getting started, but it's amazing what a good search can find. I'm not always successful, if the person doesn't have much web presence then I'm just not going to find anything, but usually there's something out there to be found. And even if it's not incriminating in anyway, information can be a powerful thing.
A successful search depends on the tools you're using. I have found that no one tool is perfect and that the most successful searches involve multiple search tools.
Yesterday I joined Emailfinder.com which cost $1.95 per month for a membership (charged one year at a time). In most cases the email addresses returned were old, out-of-date and not useful. It did however, return information on a case I have been working on.
I had an email address that I had picked up along the search path but couldn't verify it belonged to the subject. I ran it through all my sources, but it just didn't connect to known activity for the individual. But when I ran it through Emailfinder.com it connected to a social networking site I didn't know about (and lots of photos of the subject). It also connected to her Twitter account, which I was aware of, but couldn't verify I had the right email address. Once it linked through Emailfinder.com to her Twitter account I knew that I had the right email address.
With every piece of verified information your search can expand. There are often nuggets of information on social networking sites (like friends and photos) that can lead to even more information about the subject.
It's also kind of interesting how I came up with the email address to begin with. I Googled the subject's name and explored all the links that came up. A couple of the links led me to other links and eventually to a website www.[her-name].com. But when I went to the website all that was there was a "parked" site with no information. I looked the domain name up through Whois.com and found that it was privately registered so I could not see who owned it.
Next I visited Archive.org and plugged the domain name into the Wayback Machine. The Wayback Machine archives websites periodically so you can "travel back" and see what they looked like previously. This site was archived in 2007 and when I clicked to view the archive it loaded a site full of images. The images were no longer available so the site looked like a grouping of empty boxes with no text at all. Seemed useless. But, I started clicking on different sections of the site and low and behold, one click brought up a link to the email address that appeared when it opened in my mail program.
Searching takes time. I usually spend a good 3-4 hours just getting started, but it's amazing what a good search can find. I'm not always successful, if the person doesn't have much web presence then I'm just not going to find anything, but usually there's something out there to be found. And even if it's not incriminating in anyway, information can be a powerful thing.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Get the True Scoop on Your Facebook Friends
Facebook has a new app called TrueScoop that digs up the dirt on anyone. It's a free service so it culls the information from public records across the U.S. I can't vouch for how accurate the information is, but give it a try. All you need to do is enter a name or birth date.
For each search result you’ll get the basics: location, date of birth, middle initial, and whether or not there is a criminal record. Results can also be filtered by state. TrueScoop will show an expanded detail list of the criminal record from there, along with any other details it’s pulled for your person of interest.
For each search result you’ll get the basics: location, date of birth, middle initial, and whether or not there is a criminal record. Results can also be filtered by state. TrueScoop will show an expanded detail list of the criminal record from there, along with any other details it’s pulled for your person of interest.
New Sites for Digging Up Dirt
There are some great free sites out there that I've been using lately to dig up information on individuals. I usually start with 123people.com. It returns some good information including links to social networking sites. I've even had email addresses returned. Once you have a subject's email address you can search common social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, even YouTube.
Another great site for searching with email addresses is yoname.com. A fun site to try once you've found someone's Facebook or MySpace page is lococitato.com. Just put in the person's address and you'll see all the friends associated with that account.
Today I found out about a couple interesting new search engines. Take a look at Whostalkin.com and search blogs and websites for your subject. Searchme.com returns a visual of websites. Want to search blogs? Try Twingly.com.
Another great site for searching with email addresses is yoname.com. A fun site to try once you've found someone's Facebook or MySpace page is lococitato.com. Just put in the person's address and you'll see all the friends associated with that account.
Today I found out about a couple interesting new search engines. Take a look at Whostalkin.com and search blogs and websites for your subject. Searchme.com returns a visual of websites. Want to search blogs? Try Twingly.com.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Romantic Deception in Boston this Week
A case of romantic deception made headlines this week when Clark Rockefeller, of Cornish, NH and Boston kidnapped his seven year old daughter Reigh. The man, who claimed to be a descendant of the Rockefeller family, appears to be anything but. The 48-year-old was a spinner of tales who wore Brooks Brothers suits and ascots and spoke with a classic WASP accent. Yet he has no driver’s license, no passport, no social security number and no apparent history before 1990. Oh yeah, he was married to Reigh’s mother on Nantucket in 1995 but there is no recorded marriage license.
Luckily, both Rockefeller and his daughter were found Saturday safe and sound. Rockefeller had whisked his daughter to Maryland where it appeared he was about to start a new life with a new name and a new home. Today he is being extradited back to Boston where he faces charges of felony custodial kidnapping, assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Reigh’s mother divorced Rockefeller in December. According to a friend close to the couple, she had discovered that Rockefeller was a fraud. Rockefeller has several aliases and has told people he attended Harvard and Yale. He suggested to friends that he was working for the Pentagon, either as a mathematician or physicist. He claimed his parents were killed in an auto accident. During the divorce Rockefeller was given the option to reveal his true identity or to give up custody of the daughter he, by all accounts, raised as a full time dad. He chose to let his daughter go rather than unveil his identity.
But the true lesson here is that even the best and brightest can be duped by romantic impostors. Rockefeller’s wife, Sandra Boss, is a London-based financier earning well over a million a year. She is a graduate of Stanford and Harvard Business School. It’s not clear when the marriage began to crack or when she discovered that Clark wasn’t who he claimed to be. The divorce decree is sealed and she has leaked little to the media.
This case clearly epitomizes what Dr. Caldwell states in her book, Romantic Deception, “Ask me who’s vulnerable to Romantic Deception, and high on my list will be the woman who was raised right. Show me a woman who believes in honesty and I’ll show you a woman who finds it hard to even imagine that she could get mixed up with a big-time liar.”
The true identity of Clark Rockefeller will surely be exposed soon. Boston has assigned detectives to the case and the FBI is involved as well. The arm-chair detectives among us are also dying to know. And the one person who undoubtedly cares the most has to be Sandra Boss. Had she had the wherewithal to check Clark out before they got involved, she might have saved herself a lot of heartache and a ton of money.
Luckily, both Rockefeller and his daughter were found Saturday safe and sound. Rockefeller had whisked his daughter to Maryland where it appeared he was about to start a new life with a new name and a new home. Today he is being extradited back to Boston where he faces charges of felony custodial kidnapping, assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Reigh’s mother divorced Rockefeller in December. According to a friend close to the couple, she had discovered that Rockefeller was a fraud. Rockefeller has several aliases and has told people he attended Harvard and Yale. He suggested to friends that he was working for the Pentagon, either as a mathematician or physicist. He claimed his parents were killed in an auto accident. During the divorce Rockefeller was given the option to reveal his true identity or to give up custody of the daughter he, by all accounts, raised as a full time dad. He chose to let his daughter go rather than unveil his identity.
But the true lesson here is that even the best and brightest can be duped by romantic impostors. Rockefeller’s wife, Sandra Boss, is a London-based financier earning well over a million a year. She is a graduate of Stanford and Harvard Business School. It’s not clear when the marriage began to crack or when she discovered that Clark wasn’t who he claimed to be. The divorce decree is sealed and she has leaked little to the media.
This case clearly epitomizes what Dr. Caldwell states in her book, Romantic Deception, “Ask me who’s vulnerable to Romantic Deception, and high on my list will be the woman who was raised right. Show me a woman who believes in honesty and I’ll show you a woman who finds it hard to even imagine that she could get mixed up with a big-time liar.”
The true identity of Clark Rockefeller will surely be exposed soon. Boston has assigned detectives to the case and the FBI is involved as well. The arm-chair detectives among us are also dying to know. And the one person who undoubtedly cares the most has to be Sandra Boss. Had she had the wherewithal to check Clark out before they got involved, she might have saved herself a lot of heartache and a ton of money.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Proceed With Caution When Hiring a Private Investigator
Much of what I needed to know about my ex I was able to dig up on my own through online databases, but there was one nagging piece that I needed an answer to. Bob* told me he had never been married. The evidence supported that. I met many of his friends and his entire family. No one indicated that he'd been married before. But when he moved his numerous possessions out of my house the day the relationship ended, he left behind several items that raised suspicion.
These items were household goods, new, and still in the original boxes. He told me that he'd received one or more of the items as awards from golf tournaments. But these were household goods, not typical golf incentives: a cappuccino machine, hand mixer, juicer, dishes, glassware, about ten items in total. They looked a lot like wedding or shower gifts. I wondered if he had lied about his marital history as well as his financial situation.
So I asked a local PI to conduct a background check just to be sure. Weeks passed and my curiosity grew. One day I received an email from the PI asking me to call him regarding the investigation. Our conversation was shrouded in mystery. He told me he could not tell me everything he had found out, or how he had found the information, but he declared – in no uncertain terms – that Bob was currently married! I can't tell you what a shock that was to hear. We had ended the relationship just two months prior so I knew that the marriage was not a recent one. My mind raced with how he could possibly have hid a current marriage. I asked the PI for details but he refused to tell me more.
My mind reeled and my heart sank at the thought of this level of deception. I thought perhaps there had been a previous, brief marriage, but never did I imagine a current marriage. It took me about 24 hours to gain my composure and to put into action my own search for the truth. I emailed an associate of the PI who was involved in the initial search. I was able to pry a "possible" first name and age of the "wife" from the associate who relayed what he could remember. My next stop was the Registry of Vital Records where I met a sweet and helpful employee who performed a search of the marriage records for me. No marriage record turned up for Bob.
I spent innumerable hours online searching the name I was given. Nothing turned up that linked Bob to a potential wife. It took some time, and much angst, but I finally began to realize that the person the PI so adamantly claimed was his wife, was in fact his sister. This fact was later confirmed through another PI who, upon hearing my story, offered to conduct a database search for me.
The moral of this post is: Take every nugget you receive with a grain of salt. Not all information you, or a private investigator, pulls from a database is reliable. The PI who performed the initial search could have saved me much pain simply by qualifying his investigative results. Apparently he found a woman's name linked to the address Bob currently resided at (his parents' home). The woman's age was around Bob's age. The PI made a huge leap by assuming that it was a wife and not another relative.
Databases are subject to human error upon inputting data. Reports available on the Web from sources like peoplefinders.com and intellius.com, among others, offer very basic information and cost money to view. Much of the information they provide is available for free if you know where to look for it. The information on these reports is also not always current and in many cases inaccurate or unavailable. It cannot be relied upon. Beware that what they offer may not be available in your state. For example, usa-people-search.com offers a "Comprehensive Background Check" for $39.95 that includes marriage and divorce records. What you don't see is that in Massachusetts, marriage records are not available online, so you will not receive any marital information on someone you check in the state of Massachusetts.
I also have been told that intellius.com offers to provide a telephone number for $2.95. What they don't tell you is that the number may not be for the individual you are seeking. It could be any individual by the same name in that state. They also have a no refund policy. Buyer beware.
Bottom line: Hire a reputable private investigator. Investigate the investigator. Make sure he or she has credentials and is licensed if licensing is required in your state. Check references as well. Ask to see certified copies of marriage licenses before believing that the individual you are checking is truly married. Take information obtained from databases with a bit of skepticism.
* Name has been changed.
These items were household goods, new, and still in the original boxes. He told me that he'd received one or more of the items as awards from golf tournaments. But these were household goods, not typical golf incentives: a cappuccino machine, hand mixer, juicer, dishes, glassware, about ten items in total. They looked a lot like wedding or shower gifts. I wondered if he had lied about his marital history as well as his financial situation.
So I asked a local PI to conduct a background check just to be sure. Weeks passed and my curiosity grew. One day I received an email from the PI asking me to call him regarding the investigation. Our conversation was shrouded in mystery. He told me he could not tell me everything he had found out, or how he had found the information, but he declared – in no uncertain terms – that Bob was currently married! I can't tell you what a shock that was to hear. We had ended the relationship just two months prior so I knew that the marriage was not a recent one. My mind raced with how he could possibly have hid a current marriage. I asked the PI for details but he refused to tell me more.
My mind reeled and my heart sank at the thought of this level of deception. I thought perhaps there had been a previous, brief marriage, but never did I imagine a current marriage. It took me about 24 hours to gain my composure and to put into action my own search for the truth. I emailed an associate of the PI who was involved in the initial search. I was able to pry a "possible" first name and age of the "wife" from the associate who relayed what he could remember. My next stop was the Registry of Vital Records where I met a sweet and helpful employee who performed a search of the marriage records for me. No marriage record turned up for Bob.
I spent innumerable hours online searching the name I was given. Nothing turned up that linked Bob to a potential wife. It took some time, and much angst, but I finally began to realize that the person the PI so adamantly claimed was his wife, was in fact his sister. This fact was later confirmed through another PI who, upon hearing my story, offered to conduct a database search for me.
The moral of this post is: Take every nugget you receive with a grain of salt. Not all information you, or a private investigator, pulls from a database is reliable. The PI who performed the initial search could have saved me much pain simply by qualifying his investigative results. Apparently he found a woman's name linked to the address Bob currently resided at (his parents' home). The woman's age was around Bob's age. The PI made a huge leap by assuming that it was a wife and not another relative.
Databases are subject to human error upon inputting data. Reports available on the Web from sources like peoplefinders.com and intellius.com, among others, offer very basic information and cost money to view. Much of the information they provide is available for free if you know where to look for it. The information on these reports is also not always current and in many cases inaccurate or unavailable. It cannot be relied upon. Beware that what they offer may not be available in your state. For example, usa-people-search.com offers a "Comprehensive Background Check" for $39.95 that includes marriage and divorce records. What you don't see is that in Massachusetts, marriage records are not available online, so you will not receive any marital information on someone you check in the state of Massachusetts.
I also have been told that intellius.com offers to provide a telephone number for $2.95. What they don't tell you is that the number may not be for the individual you are seeking. It could be any individual by the same name in that state. They also have a no refund policy. Buyer beware.
Bottom line: Hire a reputable private investigator. Investigate the investigator. Make sure he or she has credentials and is licensed if licensing is required in your state. Check references as well. Ask to see certified copies of marriage licenses before believing that the individual you are checking is truly married. Take information obtained from databases with a bit of skepticism.
* Name has been changed.
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