Cell Phone Lookup Improves Trust in Relationships

My new boyfriend just got a new cell phone. He texted me the new number, but I must have deleted the text before recording the number in my contact list. Earlier today, I forgot that he had a new number and just punched the usual button on the speed-dial and got the "disconnected" message. D'oh! Okay, no problem. I know how to find out the number without letting on that I lost it.

I often use a service called a cell phone lookup. It does exactly what it implies, but also so much more! It gives you access to all the public records that can possibly interest you, so sometimes you may find yourself peeking at the history of the new person in your life, even if it wasn't your initial intention. That's what happened this time.

My boyfriend was not easy to find - he was like the 50th on the list. I had no idea his first and last name were so popular together; even with the same middle initial! So, the cell phone lookup gave me his number, but unfortunately it was his old number. The new number was too new to make it into the public records as of yet. While there, the cell phone lookup led me to his criminal and civil records. Who can resist peeking at those? I figured, I might as well find out a little more about the person I am starting to really like and trust.

Whoa! I didn't expect to see the multiple bankruptcies and civil liens that suddenly sprang up in front of me. To think, just the other night he happened to mention in a conversation that he wouldn't want to file a bankruptcy. What gives? I am a very straightforward person. I was no longer worried about the lost cell phone number, because the cell phone lookup led me to find out a bit more than expected.

When he called me, I asked him why he'd told me he's never filed for bankruptcy before. He said, because he hasn't. I asked for an explanation of the report I got online when looking up his number in a cell phone directory. He said he wasn't that guy. When he came over, we looked at the report together, and sure enough, it was that other guy, with his name but a different birth date and from another town. The court cases were all filed in the same city - Pasco, WA. My boyfriend just shrugged and said he's never been there. But I could already see I had made a mistake.

Be careful jumping to conclusions when looking at online public records. Every little detail matters, and it's easy to make a mistake, like I did. You know what though? The experience has brought us closer. He wasn't mad at me for snooping, even thought it was natural for me to do so. And he had nothing to hide, so the mistake became obvious immediately. We both know now - I insisted he look at my background report, too - that we are for real. It's very comforting.