Shawn Stephenson
How Journalists Investigate Individuals Legally
Journalists investigate individuals legally by searching publicly available records — court filings, property records, business registrations, financial disclosures, and licensing databases — to verify claims, establish facts, trace connections, and build documented evidence about a person that can be independently verified by editors, fact-checkers, and the public. A source makes a claim about someone. A … Read more
How HR Teams Verify Applicants Using Public Records
HR teams verify applicants using public records by supplementing formal background check reports with direct searches of government databases — court portals, professional licensing boards, business registries, and property records — to confirm the accuracy of resume claims, credential representations, and employment history before a hiring decision is made. A resume arrives. The candidate looks … Read more
How to Investigate a Charity Before Donating
Investigating a charity before donating is the process of verifying that an organization is legally registered, financially transparent, spending donor money on its stated mission, and not operating as a fraud — before you contribute money, time, or resources. A charity asks for your donation. Maybe it was in your inbox, at your door, after … Read more
How to Vet a Contractor Before Hiring
Vetting a contractor before hiring is the process of independently verifying their license, insurance, business registration, identity, and track record before signing a contract or handing over a deposit — using public records, licensing databases, and direct verification rather than relying solely on what the contractor tells you about themselves. Someone wants to work on … Read more
How Scammers Use AI to Create Fake People
Scammers use AI to create fake people by combining AI image generators, large language models, and synthetic identity construction techniques to produce fraudulent online personas that are more convincing, faster to build, and harder to detect than any fake identity a human could assemble manually. This is not a future problem. It is happening now, … Read more
How to Detect AI-Generated Identities
Detecting an AI-generated identity is the process of identifying when a person’s online presence — their profile photo, their written communications, their biographical claims, and their digital footprint — has been artificially constructed using AI tools rather than accumulated through real human activity over time. AI-generated identities are a growing problem in online fraud, romance … Read more
How to Investigate a Person From Another Country
Investigating a person from another country is the process of verifying their identity, background, and claims using international public records, open-source research, and cross-border data sources — while accounting for the structural differences between U.S. records systems and those of other jurisdictions. Someone from another country is asking for your trust — in a business … Read more
How to Document Findings for Legal Use
Documenting findings for legal use is the process of capturing, preserving, and organizing evidence gathered through public records research and open-source investigation in a form that is admissible, credible, and useful in a legal proceeding — whether that’s a court case, an administrative hearing, a law enforcement report, or a formal dispute resolution process. You’ve … Read more
How to Investigate a Business Partner Before Signing
Investigating a business partner before signing is the process of independently verifying their identity, business history, financial standing, legal record, and the accuracy of every material claim they’ve made — before you commit capital, sign a contract, or enter a formal business relationship. Someone wants to go into business with you. Or you’re considering bringing … Read more