You get a call from a number you don't recognize. No voicemail. You Google it. Nothing solid shows up. Or maybe you're chatting with someone on a dating app and just want to be sure they are who they say they are. Maybe it's a new neighbor, an old friend from high school, or a Craigslist buyer you're not sure about.

It all started with a Craigslist ad. I was selling a barely used treadmill and a woman named "Megan from Glendale" messaged me with interest. She seemed normal, until she stopped replying right after asking if I lived alone. Suspicious? Just a bit.

It started with a dating profile. A friend of mine had just matched with a guy on Bumble. Charming, well-spoken, seemed like a catch. But something didn't sit right. "I just want to know if he's real," she told me. All she had was a first name, a blurry photo, and a vague location. But, within 20 minutes, we'd found his Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok. And yes – he was married.

It all started with a babysitter. A friend of mine needed someone to watch her two young kids while she worked from home. The woman she interviewed seemed perfectly nice – warm, polite, even came with "references." But something in her gut told my friend to dig a little deeper. That's when she asked me: "Can I find out if someone has a criminal record online... without paying for it?"

I was sipping coffee at my kitchen table when my roommate's high school friend popped back into her head. "I haven't seen Jamie since graduation," she said. "Wish I had her number." She typed a name and high school into Google. Nothing. But then she tried one simple trick – and within minutes, she was messaging Jamie again.

I was selling a couch on Craigslist last fall – a nice one, barely used. A guy messaged me with just a first name and a phone number. Something felt off. Before inviting him to my house for a demo, I wanted to check who he was. I didn't want drama, or worse.

Ever had that moment? Maybe you got a strange phone call, and a little voice whispered, "Who was that?" Or you're planning a family reunion, and realize half the cousins are missing from your contact list. Or perhaps, like my friend who once lost touch with her favorite college roommate, you just want to reconnect with someone from your past.

Remember that incredible business contact you made at a conference years ago? Or perhaps a former coworker whose expertise you desperately need for a new project? Maybe you're just trying to verify someone's employment history for an important decision. In our interconnected world, it feels like professional connections should be easy to maintain, but, sometimes, people just... disappear.

You just matched with someone fantastic on a dating app. Their profile is witty, their photos are charming, and they seem almost too good to be true. But a tiny voice in your head whispers, "Is this for real?" In the world of online dating, where profiles can be polished to perfection and true identities are sometimes masked, it's only natural to want to do a little homework.