It's never been easier to be your own detective

"Ten years ago, the only people who saw your background check were the police department or an employer," said Robert Mather, CEO of MyBackgroundCheck.com.

"Now people are adding this to their résumés or buying background checks because they want to show others on MySpace" and other social-networking sites that they are who they say they are, he said.

You can also ask potential baby-sitters, housekeepers or other service providers to get their own background checks and provide the results before you hire them.

For example, while you can't request another person's driving record, you can ask a prospective nanny to get a copy of her own driver's record from the state Department of Licensing.

It costs $5 and will show her history of moving violations and convictions, collisions and whether she's had a suspended driver's license -- so you'll know whether to trust her with the car keys. For more information: www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/drivingrecord.html.