Instant Checkmate: Our Honest Review Of This Popular Background Check Service
by John Santana
You are hitting it off with a match. The chemistry is there. Sexual vibes are flying. But, how can you tell the person sitting in front of the other screen is truly who they claim to be? With the rise of online dating, people are noticing a surge in dating-related crimes.
Instant Checkmate is a fast background check for users to vet out information about anyone. You only need to give a few details and it will draw all the data points it gathers online. Online daters have found fact-checking their date’s description significantly reduces the risk.
Is Instant Checkmate the right tool for you? How does it prevent you from falling into the wrong hands?
Instant Checkmate Overview
Launched in 2010, Instant Checkmate is an American-based background check tool for paying members to access public data in the US. The tool can immediately find all relevant public information online about a person from:
- A photo
- A name
People use Instant Checkmate for many purposes including checking out their dates, finding a long-lost friend, and even gathering information on themselves. Before you join Instant Checkmate, you should know that none of the reports generated can be used officially for employment purposes or credit checks.
What Information Can Instant Checkmate Provide?
Depending on how comprehensive your data is, Instant Checkmate can list out different key information. For example, if you give an accurate name and photo, the system can give you everything about the person, including:
- Education history
- Employment record
- Criminal record
- Police report
- Public phone number
Basically, it allows you to verify the authenticity of your date. Its reverse photo search can pinpoint when the photo was taken and where it was published. From the information, you can determine if you are talking to a real person or not. If the system decides some pieces are not about the person you are looking for, they will be omitted from the report. Hence, users are not swamped with a bunch of useless details.
How Can Instant Checkmate Help You Vet Online Dates?
Instant Checkmate acts as a tool for users to screen people. Usually, the more public information you can find about someone, the more reliable they are. Granted, there are people who strictly avoid leaving digital traces for privacy reasons. It does not mean they are criminals. But a reverse photo check can at least reveal how authentic their photos are.
Once you know your date is genuine, it’s time to dig into their criminal history. You might want to be kept in the loop if your date was once arrested for serious crimes or has served time in prison.
More importantly, it screens through someone’s sexual violence record. If you are a single parent, you definitely want to avoid someone with this history, especially when they might meet your child in the future.
Some people criticize this as a violation of privacy. But the truth is, it protects online daters. You probably do not want to go out with someone convicted of domestic violence several times. Besides, you get to know their work history and educational background to crosscheck with the information they list on their profile. You can bust their lying ass about exaggerating their role.
The analytical tool examines all data points relate to this person and decide how relevant the information is. Social media is a big concern for many users. Instant Checkmate delivers their social media account and any public posts they can find. You will learn a lot from this report.
There is an app version for Instant Checkmate so you can combine it with your online dating app and get the most accurate information instantly.
Is Instant Checkmate Good And Reliable?
For the most part, Instant Checkmate gets the job done. You are sent an extensive report on your target. It is nearly impossible to miss a criminal in sight. If you are using the software as a basic screening, you will get way more than what you are seeking.
But, Instant Checkmate also comes with huge limitations. Not only can users conduct the same background check on themselves, but they can also delete the data points. Instant Checkmate can perform a search on you so you know what information about you is circling online.
Users feeling uneasy about it can pay for Instant Checkmate to delete every piece of data it has on them. Then, no one will be able to find your details through the software.
This contradicts the site’s initial purpose. If someone can hide their information so easily, the platform can’t protect users after all. You are not getting accurate details if the person has previously paid the site to remove their digital tracks. And you are back to square one.
Although this is a common limitation with most public background check tools, it should still be raised as users may not understand the reason their search is not yielding results. Instant Checkmate does not hide crucial information like sexual violence records so you will have access to this regardless.
Overall, Instant Checkmate is reliable for an initial check but you should not invest your hope in it solely as there can be complications.
How Much Is Instant Checkmate?
For the one-month unlimited searches, the fee is $36. You can do as many searches as you want. It is hard to justify the price. It is unlikely you will cramp all 100 dating profiles into one month but if you simultaneously sign up for an online dating site and Instant Checkmate, the cost can be remarkably high.
How To Ensure Your Online Safety?
Most people feel the need to enlist the help of a background check tool because they do not get a sense of security on online dating platforms. Indeed, most matchmaking services are horribly managed with loads of fake profiles lurking. It diminishes users’ trust in people and the site.
The most effective method is to only sign up for reputable service providers. No matter how charming a site sounds, if it is not backed by thousands of trusted reviews and on the recommendation list, you might want to skip it.
Adult FriendFinder and Ashley Madison are the top two online dating platforms in the USA. There are over 150 million active members on both sites combined. This staggering figure symbolizes hope for every thirsty dater. Alerts are popping up every minute as you get hundreds of dates every week.
Both platforms are strong advocates for equality, creating a safe place for minorities to be in. There are ongoing live streams and group activities. It is like joining a social media hub rather than an online dating site. You will reap loads of friendships and dates here. Some people will become your best friend while others will become your flings.
Since Adult FriendFinder and Ashley Madison are strict in their zero-bot policy, they strictly remove suspicious profiles and stop unsolicited acts. Banned members will never be able to return to the platform.
The chance of being catfished is low here. Therefore, people can safely match without worrying about meeting a criminal. Everyone is friendly. There are also regular blog posts on protecting yourself from online scams. These sites have long been regarded as the best dating sites in terms of online security.
When you are choosing the right place to browse, there is no need for a background-checking tool at all.
Signs You Might Be Talking To a Criminal
1. They Are Asking For Money
A heartbreaking story can send tears straight to your eyes. But, you may be sobbing at a fake story. Legitimacy aside, online dating users must realize they are on a dating site and not volunteering at a local shelter.
There is absolutely zero need for your match to be asking for money. Think twice if they claim they need the money to come see you. They may be overseas but it should never be your responsibility to fly them here. Nine out of 10 times, people asking for money are dodgy. They have always used this trick to make money. You are hardly the only person they beg money from.
Direct them to a local shelter. Avoid sending them money as this is a money pit you will never get out of. If you have physically met and are in a relationship, how you handle your finances with your partner is one thing. Until then, it’s best not to offer monetary aid to a match.
2. Their Stories Don’t Match
One day, they are telling you how they used to spend their childhood summers in the family cabin in Alaska. The next day, they are telling you how they have never been higher up than Seattle. These details are noticeable. You may choose to let them go the first few times but eventually, you will know it. Something is not right when they give inconsistent stories.
It is hard to keep a fake story fool-proof. A real story is logical whereas a falsified tale is full of plot holes. Don’t hesitate to challenge them on this. Get to the bottom of how something so endearing to them can be remembered differently each time. Either they are the most heartless people with the memory of goldfish or they are lying too much to keep up with their fairytales.
No matter how hard they try to deny it, you should leave. Their inability to be honest about their life is probably a sign to unmatch them.
3. Their Characteristics Don’t Fit The Description
Trust your instinct. Your match is sending bad vibes for a reason. Some online dating sites allow you to video call the other person. If they choose to hide their face or only want to do a phone call, maybe it’s because their face doesn’t match the photos.
What’s worse is discovering your date doesn’t speak the language they claim. For example, they may claim to be Thai but don’t speak a word of Thai. Or they claim to be born and raised in NYC but speak with a heavy accent and broken English. These are all signs that they are not who they claim to be.
When in doubt, you should not omit your internal warning. Online dating sites are the last places you should overlook red flags. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Unmatch anyone with contradicting characteristics. It is for your own safety to only meet up with people with honesty and respect.
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What’s The Verdict?
Instant Checkmate provides you with basic information to fact-check your date’s personal data. With quite some limitations, you may still find it restrictive. Therefore, personally we wouldn’t bother with Instant Checkmate.
The best way to protect yourself is to only go on reputable dating sites like Adult FriendFinder and Ashley Madison.
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