Should You Do a Background Check on a Social Acquaintance?
My Seven Year Nightmare: Let me tell you my story and then you decide.
After years of marriage I was suddenly single, a divorced Mom to two young kids.
Just recently back in the workforce, still young and attractive I found myself the focus of much male attention at work.
I'd made many new friends, male and female alike but I wasn't ready for a serious commitment yet to any one person.
Life was good, I enjoyed a large circle of friends, social functions and life working and taking care of two kids kept me quite busy.
Then the nightmare began...
the phone ringing in the middle of the night, heavy breathing but nobody there.
Let me tell you for a woman living alone with young children this was pretty scary.
In the 1980's doing an online background check on a social acquaintance was not yet possible.
And at this point in time I never dreamed it was somebody that I knew.
I soon found out it wasn't an isolated incident, it was happening all the time.
My phone number was unlisted and the only people who knew it were family and friends.
After a bit of time I had to accept that it was somebody who knew me, my first thought was the ex-husband! Well I was in for a shock when I changed my phone number, making sure the ex contacted me through my parents number if he needed anything, and believing now that he didn't have the number the nightmare should stop.
Wrong! And the calls were getting worse...
a voice in the night saying awful things.
I was scared to death! My nightmare continued for seven years...
through a live in relationship and beyond.
Eventually I discovered that the "voice in the night" was a man who I had worked with, and who had seemed to graciously accept the fact that I didn't want to date him but would love to be a platonic friend.
I had considered this man a close friend through all these years.
I had let him bunk on my sofa on occasions when he had drank too much and shouldn't be driving.
I shudder to think of what could have happened as I trusted him into my home.
Once he had been discovered I pressed charges which he had to face in court.
He was such a sick person that didn't stop him, the phone calls started again.
"Linda it's Bob.
You've got to call me...
I just won the million dollar lottery, now we can be together.
" It was just crazy! Contacting the police and filing a second set of charges finally did the trick.
If only I could have done a background check on all my social acquaintances during that time I probably wouldn't have had to suffer for so long.
Today it's not only possible, but highly recommended to do a background check on social acquaintances.
It's a way to be sure that people that you're spending your time with, welcoming into your home and sharing personal information with are people you should be trusting.
Getting an instant background report is fast and affordable and sets your mind at ease.
After years of marriage I was suddenly single, a divorced Mom to two young kids.
Just recently back in the workforce, still young and attractive I found myself the focus of much male attention at work.
I'd made many new friends, male and female alike but I wasn't ready for a serious commitment yet to any one person.
Life was good, I enjoyed a large circle of friends, social functions and life working and taking care of two kids kept me quite busy.
Then the nightmare began...
the phone ringing in the middle of the night, heavy breathing but nobody there.
Let me tell you for a woman living alone with young children this was pretty scary.
In the 1980's doing an online background check on a social acquaintance was not yet possible.
And at this point in time I never dreamed it was somebody that I knew.
I soon found out it wasn't an isolated incident, it was happening all the time.
My phone number was unlisted and the only people who knew it were family and friends.
After a bit of time I had to accept that it was somebody who knew me, my first thought was the ex-husband! Well I was in for a shock when I changed my phone number, making sure the ex contacted me through my parents number if he needed anything, and believing now that he didn't have the number the nightmare should stop.
Wrong! And the calls were getting worse...
a voice in the night saying awful things.
I was scared to death! My nightmare continued for seven years...
through a live in relationship and beyond.
Eventually I discovered that the "voice in the night" was a man who I had worked with, and who had seemed to graciously accept the fact that I didn't want to date him but would love to be a platonic friend.
I had considered this man a close friend through all these years.
I had let him bunk on my sofa on occasions when he had drank too much and shouldn't be driving.
I shudder to think of what could have happened as I trusted him into my home.
Once he had been discovered I pressed charges which he had to face in court.
He was such a sick person that didn't stop him, the phone calls started again.
"Linda it's Bob.
You've got to call me...
I just won the million dollar lottery, now we can be together.
" It was just crazy! Contacting the police and filing a second set of charges finally did the trick.
If only I could have done a background check on all my social acquaintances during that time I probably wouldn't have had to suffer for so long.
Today it's not only possible, but highly recommended to do a background check on social acquaintances.
It's a way to be sure that people that you're spending your time with, welcoming into your home and sharing personal information with are people you should be trusting.
Getting an instant background report is fast and affordable and sets your mind at ease.