Personal Information Engines

The following data about yourself is currently available online for free:

• Your age
• Current and past addresses
• Current and past phone numbers
• Names of your immediate relatives (spouse, children, parents)
• Donations made to political parties
  

The following data about yourself is currently available for some money:

• Your criminal record
• Your bankruptcy and lien history
• All court documents
  
• Your educational and work history
• Your friends and relatives
  
• Where you've lived
• The value of your home
• Your credit details

Here are some sites to explore:

• pipl.com- Perhaps the most comprehensive "deep web" search.
  
• peekyou.com- Personal information compiled from the internet.
  
• peopledata.com- Your email, phone, address. All for free.
• peoplelookup.com- Very in-depth commercial service.
  
• peoplefinders.com- For a fee: profile, phone, address, email, and birthday information.
  
• ussearch.com- Another commercial service to purchase personal information.
  
• whitepages.com- Well known and detailed free service.
  

Ensure your information is correct. If it's not, invest in putting the correct information online using your "e." This information is often purchased by firms that perform background checks.

Discrepancies between this information and the information you submit on your job application routinely cause red flags. Correcting misinformation can help a job search or ensure that clients and colleagues have accurate contact information.