Easy internet sleuth tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner
The internet is a treasure chest of information … if you know where to look. Whether you’re trying to verify a website, learn more about your neighborhood or dig up what’s floating around online about you, a little tech know-how goes a long way.
Here are some simple, powerful tricks to level up your sleuthing skills.
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See the details of any website
You’ve come across a website that offers an incredible promise of a free trip to Hawaii. Aloha! All the site needs is your personal info and a credit card. Before you take the plunge, make sure you’re not getting screwed over.
A WHOIS lookup search checks a database that contains information about domain names and their registrants — so you can find out who owns the website and see if they have a real business address and contact information.
How do you get this done?
Next time you think a friend is getting scammed, pull out this awesome tech party trick. You could save them some cash and embarrassment!
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Your online business is everyone’s business, like it or not. How can you check what the internet’s got on you? Here’s a quick and easy way:
Find out who your neighbor is
Go introduce yourself. If that’s not possible, you can find out online in most cases through a county’s assessor site. These government-run sites use data from assessors to estimate the value of real property within a county, city, town or village.
Once you get there, you can see where your person of interest lives, get details on their home or any other properties they own, and much more. You can even view signed documents, like the deed to their home. Yes, really.
The easiest way to find your county assessor’s site is a quick Google search. Just type in the county you’re looking for, along with "assessor." You can also go to Publicrecords.netronline.com. This directory includes official state and county websites you can search for by ZIP code.
Every county assessor’s site works a little differently, but here’s an overview of how to search on the Maricopa County site here in Arizona.
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Click on the Go to Data Online button next to the County Assessor option, then search by name or address. Click the magnifying glass icon to search and you’ll see the address, owner, parcel number and other information. Then click on the parcel number and to get even more detailed information and access any related documents.
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Go down memory lane
Not all online sleuthing is of the sneaky variety. This one is fun to try with all the places you’ve lived or a home you’re considering buying.
Pop into old Street View photos on Google Maps. You’re able to see what a place looked like going back as long as Google has captured photos there. I’ve spotted pictures going back over a decade. Talk about a hit of virtual nostalgia.
Now, share this article and impress your friends with your tech savvy — or save them from falling for a scam. Either way, you’ll look like the smartest person in the room.
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