VERIFICATION
Private Detective
You may consider verifying some of the information that has been provided. This can be done by hiring a detective (also called a private investigator) and providing your prospective son-in-law's date of birth, social security number, the places he has lived in and any addresses you have for him. Retain only licensed detectives, who work independently or for a professional agency.Typically, they can: Conduct a social security check to verify the facts you have been given. Determine if he has ever had criminal charges filed against him or been arrested for drunk driving (called a DUI - Driving Under the Influence). Check, to a limited degree only, for records of previous marriages and divorces. This information is often incomplete, because marriages are recorded only in the county (like Pakistani municipalities) that they occur in. If someone living in one county goes to another country or state to get married, that record cannot be traced without knowing which county’s marriage register the detective should check. To obtain the above information, and advice about how to proceed: Ask the prospective son-in-law and his family first. Contact Kismet: Informal Counsel and Information Source. Seek out referrals for a private investigator. Women's organizations in the United States and/or Canada will not help you acquire information, but can refer you to a professional detective agency (who will charge you for their services).
Public Records
What is a public record?
A public record is information that has been filed or recorded by any government agency. Public records include birth records, immigration records, criminal records, marriage records, divorce records, social security records, phone records, legal residency, plus more.NOTE: It is important to understand that public records are only as accurate as the agencies that input them. Please be sure to closely review the public information listed about the individual that you may be researching in a report.
What are the steps I should take to access a public record?
Decide what you are researching. Is it an address, immigration records, criminal records, marriage records? Choose from one of the websites below to access the record(s) you are looking for and follow the instructions. Before conducting a search, gather the information you need. For example, full name of the individual, social security number, full address, phone number(s), names of relatives, etc.
Where and how can I access public records?
Although public records are held in physical files, they are made available through the internet. Further, even though public records are made ‘public’, they are not always free or simply accessible. There are many websites, with varying fees, that provide individuals with public records.
The following three websites, with basic step-by-step instructions below can be used to access various public records:
www.vitalrec.com
Provides vital records (birth, death, marriage, and divorce) for a one-year fee of $35.40. The search can be done on the right side of the page. Click on the appropriate vital record that you would like to search (all vital records, birth, death, marriage, or divorce). Type in the appropriate information. The least information you need is the individual’s first and last name, but the more information you provide, the narrower the search results. If the name of the individual is common, then you could potentially have thousands of search results. Search results will be displayed on a new page. Click on “View all _____ records for individual’s name” At this point, you will have the buy access to the records. Click on “Buy Now” Currency conversion is available by clicking on “Currency Conversion” under “Total”. Fill in billing information and complete your transaction. You are now able to view your search results. freerecordsregistry.com
Click on “Get Instant Access” (located at the top right corner of the page). You must be registered with this website before conducting any searches. Choose from the membership options (Lifetime, 2-year, or 1-year). After selecting your membership, click on “Click Here to Join Now” Currency conversion is available by clicking on “Currency Conversion” under “Total”. Fill in billing information and complete your transaction. You are now able to begin your search. www.pretrieve.com
Choose what you would like to search (Person, Business, Address, or Phone) You have the option of doing a basic or advanced search. Choose which one you would like to do and type in appropriate information. Remember, the more information you provide, the narrower the search results. If the name of the individual is common, then you could potentially have thousands of search results Click on “Find Public Records” Search results will be listed. Click on “View Details” under the individual’s name who you would like to see a report. Scroll down to “Background reports for individual’s name” and verify address and/or relatives. If you wish to purchase a full background report or any of the other reports listed, click on “Buy It”. Fill in billing information and complete the transaction. You will then be able to view your report.
Public Searches
Neighborhood
To gain a sense of the living environment in which the suitor lives, enter his home address into Google Maps. Click on ‘Satellite View’ (and ‘Street View’ if available) and zoom in to view the neighborhood as well as the exterior of the residence itself. You can then confirm if the address provided is of an actual home or not. It may also be useful to confirm the types of neighbors living nearby the suitors’ home. Websites such as the National Sex Offender Registry provide virtual maps of various types of sex offenders and the location of their homes and workplaces.
Social Networking Websites
Utilize online social networks to view the types of friends and acquaintances the suitor maintains. If the suitor maintains a public presence on websites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, and Twitter, in addition to viewing his friends, you may be able to ascertain how he interacts with his friends and the types of character traits he projects. Search Blogger and Word press to see if he maintains an online blog so you can screen the issues and perspectives he emphasizes. If he has a LinkedIn profile it will cover his educational and work history.
Some Cautionary Notes!
Even when parents visit the United States and/or Canada to obtain information about a prospective groom, and to furthermore verify it through a detective agency, they can still gather an inaccurate picture.It is of course not always possible to understand the true personality of someone within a short period of time. Everyone puts his best foot forward in such a situation. How a person appears to his friends and colleagues may be quite different from how he will behave with his wife. In fact many abusers can be charming, and their wives reports of domestic violence are met with disbelief and dismissal.
When parents spend time and money to gather all this information about a potential groom and they like him, they may end up putting more pressure on their daughter to accept the proposal, and later, to stay in the marriage if it becomes abusive. Paradoxically, women may end up being more vulnerable when the search for a perfect match is so thorough.