How to check a person’s details online

We live in crazy times where everything we do can be known, thanks to the internet, satellites, Google Earth, drones and other high technologies. Privacy is a thing of the past and we need to be careful who we share our personal details with, and how.

It is vital to check a person’s details online if you are going to make any swop of information with them, or if you are going into a transaction with them. We will talk about how to do this. Identity theft is one of the biggest frauds today and involves stealing someone’s money, pretending to be someone else and stealing someone’s personal information. If you are a victim of identity theft, you will feel violated and even raped, for want of a better word.

Buying and selling online

Most of us like to buy and sell things online now thanks to its convenience and a smart way of making easy money. We look at online advertisements to buy second hand goods, we log into e-commerce stores to buy things we need so that we don’t need to drive too far. This internet world of online commerce had created jobs and offered all kinds of people all kinds of opportunities. But it also comes with huge drawbacks: there are so many scammers out there it is scary. Criminals trawl the web and take advantage of those who give away their details a lot online. Some scammers even create fake online profiles to fool people and many cannot be caught.

When buying things second hand on sites like Gumtree, for example, use your gut feeling and if things feel wrong, do not complete the transaction. The good news is that there are several online companies which specialise in helping you check someone’s details using their cell phone number, identity number or other personal details such as addresses, email addresses and websites.

Some general ways to check a person’s details online

  • Use Google to try to find them, typing in something you know about them. If this does not come up with enough information, try other search engines.
  • Look up details on LinkedIn or try information pages, directories and other such data systems.
  • There are companies that find people: People Search and Rescue Unit (PSARU); Intertel and other professional tracing firms.

i-Check Data Solutions

Our company can assist you to trace someone using a cell phone number or an ID number. It can also carry out credit checks, drivers’ licence details and qualifications – especially if companies are seeking good applicants for top jobs. Business owners can request business reports before they go into transactions with other companies. I-Check can check all information related to that company including auditors’ information, credit scores, ownership and bond details, principal details and addresses of principals.

If you are trying to find out more about someone because you need to make a transaction with them, you give i-Check that person’s cell number and they then supply you with the relevant address, email address, other contact details and next of kin information.

Let us look at a few scenarios and you can see how easy it is to trace someone when you need to.

I am about to transfer cash for something I want to buy on Gumtree – how do I check if that person is legit?

You can provide the person’s cell phone number to i-Check solutions and they insert it into their system. What comes up is amazing. A mere cell phone number will reveal instant confirmation of their whereabouts – addresses, email addresses and ID numbers. Doing it the other way around, by inserting the ID number only, the cell number will be found plus all other details including past addresses and cell phone numbers. If you do not have any cell phone number or ID number, you need to do a credit check, using their name and any other information you may have. Their high-tech system does a background check on the person in real time and presents an immediate credit check. Then you decide your next step.

I was in a car crash and all I have is a cell phone number. How do I find that person?

Contact i-Check and submit the cell phone number. They insert it into their system. What comes up is amazing. A mere cell phone number will reveal instant confirmation of their whereabouts – addresses, email addresses and ID numbers. Doing it the other way around, by inserting the ID number only, the cell number will be found plus all other details including past addresses and cell phone numbers.t will come up with that person’s addresses, ID number, current employer, their email address and next of kin. Amazing.

A guy scammed me by selling me a fake item. How do I find him?

The first thing you need to do is to contact your local police straight away so that they can open a case. Report the episode to the relevant website immediately, sending them as much information as possible about the advertisement and the item you paid for. They can recover and store data that they then convey to the police. Send your case number to them to assist. If you have his cell number or ID number, contact i-Check to do a check on his details then you can hand him over the police.

Personal information that you need to protect

  • Your ID document or driver’s license.
  • Passport.
  • Payslips.
  • Credit card information.
  • Municipality statements.
  • Cheque books and bank cards.
  • Banking details.
  • Telephone records.
  • Card PIN numbers and Internet banking passwords

Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Personal Information or Identity Theft

  • Do not disclose Personal Information over the internet or telephonically, without knowing exactly who you are disclosing the information to and what it will be used for.
  • Be careful when you enter competitions or answer surveys because sometimes these are scams to source your information. ‘Getting to know you’ emails are another trick perpetrators use to acquire Personal Information.
  • Carefully consider the information you disclose electronically. This includes personal profile information on your business website, social networks, chat rooms and other online media.
  • Do not carry all your identification documentation with you, unless absolutely necessary. Generally, only one document is necessary to conduct daily transactions, the rest should be locked away securely.
  • Ensure your filing is always secure. Documents can be stolen or copied if left in your car or office.
  • Always shred documents that contain Personal Information instead of throwing them away. Your rubbish bin is a great source of information so ensure your documents are unreadable before you dispose of them.
  • Delete all Personal Information and format the hard drive of any electronic devices such as cell phones, PDAs or computers before you release the item.
  • Ensure your Personal Information is subject to a confidentiality clause and cannot be sold or used for anything other than the specified purpose before you disclose it.

As a consumer you have the right to obtain one free credit report each year from each credit bureau. Use the report from Compuscan, Experian, Transunion ITC and Xpert Decision System to check if institutions have made enquiries about you. This could indicate that your details have been used without your authorisation. Source