Probably not.  If she is reviewed here on TER, she is probably legit.  

For future reference, please create your own hobby e-mail.

Hope this helps!

Chances are that everything she knows about you is from a google search, depending upon the screening info you provided to her.

Another thought, do you have a distinctive accent?  Maybe she didn't know from her research, but rather just a good ear during your chat on the phone.

Hi all,

I'm worried about LE.  Just got off the phone with my first potential provider.  She's not based in NYC, but will be visiting soon.  She's well-reviewed (35+ reviews over past 3 years), one of her reviewers is whitelisted, and I got a good vibe from her on the phone.

My concern: in doing her research on me, she found out which city I was born in (on the phone, she asked, "are you from ___?").  The only info I had given her about me was my first/last name, real e-mail address, where I currently go to school, and the state I am originally from.  And I'm from a small city in that state, so she couldn't have just guessed.  How did she know?  Is there a search service providers use to get this info??  Should I be worried?

Many thanks for your advice.

Got FaceBook, LinkedIn, Myspace or ever posted in a bulletin board under your real name?

Here's you answer.

With 35+ reviews, unless she's been busted and flipped.  But if that were true, why is she traveling to NY?  As for her  figuring out where you're from, maybe she checked you out on google, which lots of girls do.  Or maybe she did a reverse info search on you.  I wouldn't worry about it.  OTOH, you might want to post this on the Newbie Board and get a  broader group of people commenting on it.

Privacy is nearly dead today. Your full name and a city you've lived in, especially if it's small, can get anybody a lot of info about you.  That said, you shouldn't worry too much about somebody that well-reviewed--but bear in mind this hobby has a number of objective risks for which you should plan.

She might've used sites like beenverified.com or intelius.com, which are public data aggregators. Or she might've used knowx.com, which adds in private database information (at higher cost, of course).

I agree with this.  It is very easy if you pay a nominal fee to run someone's information against some pretty comprehensive databases.  Knowing name and state of residence gets you pretty far.

If she has lots of reviews, you should be safe.  Equally important, the fact that she is traveling interstate makes it less likely that she's been flipped by local LE.  These are two factors that always have given me comfort.

As someone suggested, use an email without ant connection to your identity.

35+ reviews and you're worried about LE? Sorry, there are no guarantees in this life. Better find a new hobby...

Did you mentioned that you called her? Looking up area code should be pretty easy...

Do you think you provider this information? It is so we can check that you exsist .You give it to prove you are a real person just like you guys check reviews tineye etc to find if we are real. We need references and other info to be sure when you tell us your name is Bonzo your name is Bonzo . Your phone number , your ip , your name, your work , school, and quite frankly even mortgage info is all a matter of public information at this point and easily accessable. As is everyones .The fact is if you are not the serial killer and have nothing scarey to hide , are seeing well reviewed established trusted providers you should not have an issue.You said you are a student... Do you have enough money in your war chest as a student for her to want to screw up a fairly well paying career to screw up your life? Is she going to make off of you doing something underhanded more than she would working a job she is in 3 yrs without an issue,If she was  blackmailing guys she would be banned for sure ,no? Just do the math .For example if the girl sees 10 guys a month or even a week at 400 or 500 an hr for 3 yrs .....can she get that kind of money out of you for any reason at all? Probably not ....Most guys exwives can't get that kind of bankroll. What is your main concern with screening really? Is she going to show up at your front door?? Probably not without paying her her hourly fee.
It is normal for a new guy to have very real concerns .You of course are entitled to those concerns .One must consider the girls also have very real concerns.To that end screening is a neccessary evil. IP trackers can tell us what room in your home your computer is located and if you are using a proxy server.Just so you know we don't need google anymore . Good luck and I wish you all the best ,Lianna

it seemed like he was more concerned how she could have gotten that information. Being a victim of identity theft before, If a provider told me they knew where I born or a prior hometown of mine would raise a red flag.

a hypothetical example- say If I had detailed info on you , like where you were born or your real name and bday and told you I knew these things before our first meeting, would you still see me? Wouldn't you be concerned as to how I got the info and then wonder about my sanity?

btw I don't have any of your info and totally not flaming, just trying to give you my view.

My point being- people may have a right to do background checks but they should keep it to themselves. some people are overly sensitive in the age of identity theft and what not.

p.s- great time last week, thanks!

It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone.

Thanks Lianna and everyone for your insight.  Let me clarify.  I understand the need for screening.  My concern is LE.  That she was able to find out where I'm from was so impressive that I started to wonder whether only a government agency has the resources to do it.  Why so impressive?  Because she mentioned the name of the town where I was born, but not where I grew up.  I'm not on facebook, myspace, or any other social networking site.  My linkedin profile doesn't mention this town.  And of course I have a separate hobbying email.  She asked me to send her an email from my student email address to prove I was, in fact, a student at the school.  Bottom line, I have tried to myself to do internet searches using the info I gave her, and nothing leads me to this tiny town where I was born.  It leads me to the neighboring town where I spent most of my childhood, but not to the town I was born in.  I would think you would need a social security number or driver license number to get this kind of info.  Again, I'm happy to be verified, and I don't care if she knows where I was born.  I just want to make sure I'm not going to get arrested for this!!  Other thoughts?

It was rude at best for her to make you uncomfortable and look as far back as your birth records.



Do I know how she did it , yes not really google though.It is intellus followed but ancestry or the likes she did a search that included more than one step .Once she found you she then took your info and expanded on it herself.



We all have double identies.We have the cyber and the one we see walking down the street who drinks coffee.They love sharing the same time and space even if you do not know what the virtual you is up to .For example you get mail via email , you get posts on your wall on your social networking site you are interacting even when you are not there.The unbelievable amount of information that is available through you or even through your friends walls is amazing .Maybe not your birth place but someone could spend yrs rehashing your life one they never lived with , in or experienced.... This was not

was not just a google search why she would go this far IDK it is odd really. In all fairness.



I understand your concern and the concerns of those who are afraid of identity theft it happens all the time .IDK how often it happens in this arena .I will say I never did feel compelled to find out any ones birth place or grandmas name .She has some time on her hands I will give her that.  

At this point she has made you pretty uncomfortable, and rightfully so ..No I would not see someone who had too muvh info on me but noy because I would be afraid of identity theft in my case...I would guess that the approach she chose is going to lead you to a pretty anticlimactic time if the entire time you are thinking possibly LE is walking in the door. You wondering if she is there to hurt you in some way... I would probably move on ,or I would get a bit annoyed and straight out ask , was that realllly necessary? Because I think we all know that it wasn't.I have seen plenty of people without need for their birth place or to intimidate them .It was really rude ..Good luck new guy All the best ,Lianna

I have a application on my phone that not only narrows down your major city but your neighborhood as well.  City ID is the app. I use it for work but I'm sure people use it for "monkey business" as well.
A fellow hobbyist gave me a tip a while back.  Get a Hobby phone and use a different area code when you sign up. Should someone find it say YOUR SPOUSE you are covered.  As far as the screening process, once you get into play with a few reputable providers the door is open.  
Good Luck!
b.

You may not be registered on Social Networking sites like Facebook, but I bet you have an Amazon account. Check your security settings. You'd be surprised how easy it is to get very detailed info on just about anyone.