I was recently involved in a business transaction with someone who claimed to be an Internet attorney, had a reputation for being such with mutual acquaintances, and talked a good game. As the ball started to get dropped one too many times, an investigative check revealed that this person had been disciplined, losing law licenses and the related right to practice law. In other words, this person was an ex-Internet attorney with a sketchy background.
The importance of a background check in business deals was reinforced in this excerpt from a letter posted at rateladder.com apparently from Prosper Security.
“It has come to our attention that one of the group leaders on Prosper is subject to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settlement order that bans him and his related companies from advertising, marketing, promoting, offering for sale, or selling any credit-related goods or services, or assisting others engaged in the same activities.”
Benjamin Franklin once said that an ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure. Very true. With the help of your Internet attorney, you can get a background check on just about anyone, particularly before doing ongoing business with them.
