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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Investigating an online seller is the process of verifying that a seller is a real person or legitimate business, that the item they’re selling exists and matches their description, and that no fraud patterns are present in how they’re presenting themselves or structuring the transaction — before money or items change hands. You found something … Read more
Vetting a roommate using public records is the process of verifying a prospective roommate’s identity, confirming their background, and checking their rental and legal history before you invite them into your home — using publicly available government records and open-source research tools that don’t require their consent for personal safety purposes. Someone is about to … Read more
Finding someone using only a phone number is the process of identifying the person associated with a specific number — their name, address, and connected records — by working through reverse lookup tools, carrier data, public records associations, and cross-platform searches that tie a number to a real identity. A number called you and you … Read more