So your 20 year old daughter is all gaga about the cool guy she met at the Waffle House. “He’s fun, he’s fast and he’s really terrific”, so she says. “At 23, he owns his own modeling agency and is now off to Europe to check on his import export business!”
It’s obvious your daughter is wild about him. But as a concerned parent you’re worried. Some men will say anything for sex. And as smart as your daughter is, she’s also a bit naive. So you wonder, what if this guy’s a liar? Or worse, what if he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing? He could be dangerous!
Your daughter won’t listen without proof. And you know just how to get it! Now is the time to be cheerful. So with your best botox smile, you say “That’s great honey! I’d love to meet him when he returns! May I take a look at his business card?”
With great joy she hands it over to you. And now you’re really smiling. For his neck is in your noose. With just a business card, you have all you need for a full fledged background check! It’s time to pull the beard off Santa, and expose him for the fraud he is!
A short time later your suspicions are confirmed. The guy is 30 not 23. And to your disgust, the slacker still lives with his mommy. You also learn the company he “owns” doesn’t exist, and his arrest mugshots show he’s driving on a suspended license-a license he lost after his second DUI.
He’s also lying about his wealth. Court records on PACER show that less than a year ago he filed for bankruptcy. Looking at the bankruptcy petition, it’s obvious to you what happened. With his minimum wage job at the gas station, he couldn’t make the payments on his flat screen TV and the Jet Ski he bought on credit.
Smug and self satisfied, you tuck away his business card and can’t wait to tell your daughter the good news. Ain’t life grand!
A Sample of What You Can Find Out From A Business Card
Why A Background Check Through Their Business Card?
As you can see, a business card is so packed with information that it screams out: PLEASE DO A BACKGROUND CHECK ON ME!
The typical business card has:
1. The names of the person, business and website; and also
2. Contact information such as their address, phone number and email address.
Even if you’re not a protective parent, there are plenty of good reasons to do a background check. And what better way than with their own business card!
People use business cards to inspire trust. They hand out them out in the hopes you’ll feel they’re competent, dependable and professional. So at the very least you can investigate these claims before you date them, hire them or introduce them to your friends and colleagues.
What To Look For In A Business Card
There’s only two reasons to check out a business card:
- Confirm The Person Is Being Truthful About Themselves
Are they really a doctor or a lawyer? Are they truly a licensed CPA? Do they own that company or work for someone else? Is their physical address an office, a home or just a concealed mail drop made to look business like? - Learn The Things They’d Never Dare Tell You On Their Own
Is the person reputable? Have they had complaints, been sued, or ever been convicted of a crime? Did they drive their former companies into bankruptcy? Do they own the property or just rent from their mom? These are the things they won’t volunteer. And unless you background them, you’ll never know what to ask.
Where To Plug In The Information
Google everything. This includes their name, the name of their company, the phone number, address, email address and website address. Make sure to Google with and without their middle initial.
For more on name searches see:
- Google Like A Pro (Quick Tips & Tricks)
- People With Common Names-How To Background Them
- Age, Relatives & Middle Name: The First Stop In Any Background Check
Leverage what you find to get even more information. For example:, if your search turns up more companies or prior phone numbers and addresses, Google these too. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know. It could be these lead to other failed ventures, or to lawsuits and arrests that reveal their rotten character.
Check Licenses and Certifications and verify they own the company they claim to own. For example, all doctors and lawyers better be licensed in the state they practice. Same with CPAs, realtors and financial advisors. If you’re unsure if they need a license, Google their profession and your state to see if such is required. For more, see the Sleuth For The Truth blog on Backgrounding A Contractor.
Do reverse lookups to see who’s behind any of the contact information on the business card. Learn who is behind the phone number, the email address, who owns the property and whether its a real address or concealed mail drop. Often a reverse lookup will tell you other things such as lawsuits, who their associates are and if there are complaints against them. Other red flags include connections to criminal activity, and the business being “theirs” but you can’t find them as an officer or registered agent.
Finally, see what else you want to know about them at Consumer-SOS.com below:
Find Or Background People By Their:
Whoa! This is impressive. I’m just sitting here pondering everything you said. Really cool.