I think it is more important that the information is available so that clients and providers are better off being educated when it comes to deciding what verification methods are reliable and discreet, regardless of what LE surveillance there may on the boards. I would rather the correct information be made accurately available, than everyone being on their own, unwary of the ins and outs, and clients and providers getting busted left and right due to ignorance on the subject.
FWIW, here's my angle on the whole subject.... Anything I can do on my computer, or have another person falsify in my stead, I throw out the window. It's completely worthless for me to verify employment information, check ID, business cards, paystubs, whatever. I could mimic any of that from my own computer, or a dummy phone line. Any good vice department could easily park their butt down at the electric company and ask the HR Manager to verify a name under their employ. Asking to see a plane ticket might be worthwhile, but I prefer to do all of my screening before making the journey to a hotel room. By the time you've gone that far, it's probably too late anyway. A lot of vice departments are fairly well known for falsifying their own testimony of exactly what was said (Chicago comes to mind), and once you're in the room, the can potentially bust you anyway, and invent the actual details of the scenario later.
Personally, I want to have a real name, profession, city/state of residence, and a minimum of 2 well-known, well-established references (provider OR agency) that have been dealt with within the last 6 months, and preferably more than once. With a real name and profession I can look an individual up on the Internet pretty easily. If they have a common name, I can additionally use the city/state info to narrow my search. Granted, this might not be true for everyone, but most of the clients I've seen have some mention online in one form or another. But more importantly, the references nail it home for me, and if a reference doesn't reply, I'll email them again, or ask the client to email them to let them know it's okay to send me the reference, or ask the client for another reference in its stead. I put an enormous amount of weight into the references; the more well-known and well-established the lady, the better. Their screening standards are probably much more stringent than mine, anyway.
My request for references is standard, and goes a little something (actually, it goes exactly) like this:
"Hi Bubbles Banger,
"I'm writing to get a reference from you for this gentleman (email included below). Please let me know if he is valid, and if his tastes are other than "vanilla" in variety.
"Thank you!!!
"BJ"
That's pretty much all that needs to be said. About 1/2 the time, a provider won't respond unless the client emails her and okays the reference info for me, but I hope that providers become more responsive in the future... particularly since there are no specifics to the business mentioned.
Another issue -- I always email the provider at the email address that is provided at her website or public advertising, especially if it is different than the email address the client has provided. This may sometimes delay the response time because this email address gets the bulk of email for her, but I always want to be sure I am actually corresponding with her, instead of a dummy account the client (LE?) has set me up with.
Anyway, that's just my spin on the subject, FWIW,
BJ, Palm Beach
[email protected]
-- Modified on 3/9/2003 5:06:21 PM
