Dating can be hard, especially when you’re doing it online. Swiping right can always give you that little niggle in the back of your head, “are they who they say they are?”
We’ve all heard the horror stories, but then again there are plenty of tales of success and the number of Tinder marriages is forever increasing.
Most people will do a bit of research before they meet their date these days. It seems obvious to trawl social media and check out their profile to ensure they’re genuine. In fact, there are so many ways in which you can do some research on a prospective partner, and it’s a lot easier than you might think…
Do A Public Records Search
It might be an extreme step, but if there’s a reason to believe a date isn’t quite who they say they are then there’s every reason to do a public record search on them.
You’ll find some of the best public records search engine tools will offer you up all manner of information.
The likes of PeopleLooker and BeenVerified are among the most popular tools and will allow you to look up the likes of court records and marriage records.
A study by Vanity Fair found that 30% of Tinder users are already married, and while the brand refuted that, it is still a real concern for many.
Performing a public records search will help you confirm any suspicions you may have and bring you peace of mind.
Perform a Background Check
Alongside a public records search, you could also perform a background check which will offer you similar results as well as a few more.
There are many reasons in which this method can be useful as you can find out an awful lot about a person from criminal records, which could certainly eliminate any chance of a horror story, to financial checks such as if they’ve been bankrupt before, as well as occupation and even the odd social media blunder can be discovered!
Of course, these will offer a level of detail that perhaps is a step too far and could change the way you think about a person, particularly in the case of criminal records, but it can on rare occasions be the difference between staying safe and being in danger.
Use Social Media
It’s perhaps the most common and viable method for people and something the vast majority of us do before meeting the first date – look them up on social media.
There are tons of things you can learn from social media and many tells that perhaps offer hidden meaning too.
77% have admitted they’ve previously researched a date, and one of the first things to look at is of course relationship status.
Although there are tons more to look out for, including more recent pictures, hobbies and interests and any potential opinions that maybe, what we call politically incorrect.
You’ll also find information about their workplace as well as much more. What’s interesting to note is that experts believe a person who doesn’t use social media frequently but does use a dating app regularly could possibly be hiding something. After all, they are cut from the same cloth in reality, so why wouldn’t someone engage in one thing, but not the other?
A Simple Google Search
One of the most telling things you can do is simply Google a person, and the various pieces of information you do know about them.
You could unveil something really big about their identity. Naturally, you may come across a horror story, such as a criminal record, but you could also find incredible things about them, such as charity work, heroic actions, and many other newsworthy things.
Again, like taking a background check, it can be a big step. For example, if you were to uncover your date had been honored for an act of bravery or owned business worth millions of dollars, it may feel a little intimidating when you do come to meet them.
Ultimately, honesty is the best policy and if you feel your date is being honest with you there’s generally no need to perform background checks at all, letting information flow naturally. And that’s mostly the case.
However, it’s perfectly normal that you might want to know more, particularly if you’ve had bad experiences previously. Therefore there’s absolutely no shame in doing a bit of research before you go on your first date. If it will make you feel more comfortable, it will also put your date further at ease and make for a smoother and more successful date.
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