Revelations: Using The Internet To Find Out Unpleasant Info

[MrMon]

With the advent of the Internet, we can now find out a lot more about people than we ever have before. Public records have always been public, but you had to know how to get the info, or go to a far away place to get it. Now, with a few keystrokes, you can find out all sorts of things about your friends, relatives, and enemies, things that years ago would have been pretty well hidden.

For instance, I recently started digging around on an acquaintance of mine who I was hearing some nasty stories about. They didn't fit with what I knew about the guy, so I started checking out the stories. They more I dug, the worse it got. Turns out the guy is a disbarred lawyer who has been sued every which way in court, and in turn uses the courts to sue other people. And his father had beaucoup bucks, so that might explain how he keeps on going, but obviously he didn't get all of it, as he's often sued for nonpayment of bills. In short, he turns out to be a rather nasty guy, who I'm now keeping at arms length.

Now my wife has found out some info via Googling on a relative who it turns out lied through their teeth to get a workman's comp claim through the state for a dead spouse. The story they told the state was definitely not the one they told the rest of us, and she personally knows that many of the details in the claim were downright false. Uggh.

So, anyone else get the goods on someone via Internet, when a few years ago, it wouldn't have been possible?

[captZEEbo]

tips on finding out info about people?

[Losing all]

Your circle contains a scumbag lawyer and a fraudster. Mild sauce

[MrMon]

[ QUOTE ]
tips on finding out info about people?

[/ QUOTE ]

Just Google them to start. Many counties now have a lot of records online that you can search for info by name. Real estate info online is quite common. Even California, where you supposedly can't search for addresses by name is searchable once you realize that they have simply split the databases into two, linked by a common property record number. You just have to search two databases instead of one to find pretty much anyone.

Many court records are now online, and there's lots of great info in those. State agency records as well. You just have to see what's available for the area you're looking for.

Of course there are search firms that'll give you all sorts of data in one fell swoop, but those cost money. If you were really serious about find out things, I imagine paying for those searches could really turn up things. I just do the free stuff when necessary.

[HP]

I noticed my cousin (who's married) trying to hook up with this other girl through myspace. Planning to fly to where she is etc.

Also, if I remember correctly, my uncle's "capacity to operate on market" (Australian Stock Exchange) has been suspended. This is impressive as there's a fairly short list of suspended people I think

[lippy]

My Uncle is a very, very successful computer genius and was always distant, but pleasant to my family. He quit answering my Dad's (my Dad is his only sibling and my nuclear family is his only remaining family) phone calls a few years ago after starting to date a woman he met in China.

Through googling the right terms, I found out that he and his girlfriend got married and moved from San Diego to Arizona. He apparently didn't find it necessary to let my dad know. He now runs a business with his wife and all of her family.

His actions have been pretty pathetic given the way my family has treated him (we invite him to all my maternal family events and such). My Dad has been quite hurt that he still won't respond to e-mails or anything.

I keep telling myself I'm going to show up at his doorstep with a phone and make him call my Dad.