It is funny to think about how everyone in our lives was a stranger to us at one point in time. How did we decide that we no longer wanted to be strangers with that person but instead connect with them on a personal level? How did the opportunity approach itself so that we could make this bond?
Most people will agree that their most faithful and reliable friendships and relationships all started in a blink of an eye. There seems to be an inclination among people who cannot recall the exact moment they felt a strong bond with their close friends. But why? Why is this a common trend among humans? Could it be because we fell into a deep feeling of happiness and comfort when we began talking to them or because they passed the stranger safety test that informs us this person is harmless to speak to, allowing us to let our guard down?
The phrase "stranger safety test" is not a real test, but we unconsciously do it when we meet new people. From birth, most of our parents teach us to be wary of everyone who comes into our lives because we do not know their intentions (i.e., stranger danger). What exactly does the stranger safety test consist of, and strictly when do we do it. There are different forms of the test, and they all depend on the timing and situation. Most of us do the 'background check test' when we want to meet up with people from the internet, such as online dating or buying or selling on the online marketplace. We unconsciously get drawn to do online background checks because it makes us feel safe. These are situations where we have the upper hand to do our research on the strangers before we meet them. Moments, for example, when someone we do not know approaches us at a park to spark a conversation, would employ a different stranger safety test. This action would require you to use your street smarts and gut feeling. Let's go over the different ways you can test strangers to know if they are safe to be around.
Why Is It Important To Do A Stranger Safety Test For Someone You Meet Online: Catfishing
Catfishing occurs on the internet way more than most people would think. If you do not know what catfishing is, let me explain. Catfishing is where people pose to be someone else on the internet, either by using a fake name, fake profile pictures, or altering photos of themselves to the point that they look unrecognizable. Catfishing is a significant problem on the internet. About 53% of people on online dating websites lie about their true self to others. The lies can start as something so innocent, like how tall they are or to pretend to be unemployed and need financial assistance.
So why does catfishing occur? According to multiple studies, most people who catfish do it because they are lonely, bored, or insecure. Catfishing is sometimes called romance scams. The FBI reported back in 2011 that they had received 5,600 reports of romance scams happening throughout the internet. And where were most of these scams occurring? The majority of these romance scams were occurring on Facebook. About 83 million accounts on Facebook are fake. Therefore, being catfished can happen to anyone and in any situation, for example, online dating and using an online marketplace.
Why Is It Important To Do A Stranger Safety Test For Someone You Met Online: Online Marketplace Scams
In 2018 the Better Business Bureau received 10,450 data reports of online marketplace scams. These scammers may produce an advertisement for something that appears to be too good to be true. This advertisement attracts vulnerable people who cannot let a good deal pass. If all goes well for the scammer, they will receive your money, and you will either get a counterfeit item or nothing in return. Most scammers who want your money will never meet with you in person because their odds are better if they don't. But what if you use an app or website such as Offer Up or Craigslist that requires you to meet the buyer or seller to get the item/payment. That can be dangerous and may require you to utilize the stranger safety test because you do not know what that person's intentions are.
How To Do A Stranger Safety Test If You Are Meeting Up With Someone In Person
Meeting up with someone in person that is a stranger can be risky. Here are some tips you can use when doing the stranger safety test.
- Try to meet in a public place. If you are trying to buy something off the internet from someone you do not know, meet at a heavily populated coffee shop. This safety precaution will ensure you have bystanders around in case anything drastic happens.
- Inform a friend what your plans are. Telling your friend where you will be meeting this stranger and at what time will allow your friend to check up on you throughout your meetup.
- Always listen to your gut. If you get a bad feeling about this person, whether it is before you meet them or during, feel free to walk away at any given time. Your instincts are more powerful than you'd think.
If you are joining up with someone from the internet, you need to know how to protect yourself. Before meeting up, perform an online background check on the person. New, advanced people search engines like Glad I Know | People Search and Background Screening Made Simple. 100% Confidential will give you instant and private access to nearly a BILLION open records on any person in the U.S. The first step in utilizing GladiKnow's technology is by using the person’s name and location (city and state) or their address (both will work). Now go to GladiKnow and enter their name and location (or address) into GladiKnow's people search engine and instantly get a confidential report on the person. This report will include that person's current age, addresses and address history, emails, phones, relatives, employment history, education records, social media profiles, criminal records, sex offender records, liens, judgments, bankruptcies, civil documents, traffic, and infraction reports, licenses, permits, and much more.
The third step would be to compare. GladiKnow has the real information on the person. Feel free to question him or her about where they have lived, their age, employment status and education history, relatives' names, email addresses, and phone numbers, or any bit of data you see from the report in front of you. If the person is a scammer, they will certainly not give you real data to reveal their actual name. If this is the situation, you will see a mismatch between what they tell you and what you know to be accurate from their report. Congratulations, you have just revealed a scammer!
You can even utilize GladiKnow in other circumstances when you want to acquire more knowledge about someone, such as dating on the internet to future and current roommates and peers from school, to new friends or love interests! For more information on GladiKnow's advanced people search engine, check out this great video.
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