Is your dream date hiding a less-than-dreamy rap sheet?

Can you trust your new baby-sitter with the car keys — or the kids?

More and more government agencies post public records online, making a startling amount of information available. With a little amateur sleuthing, you can peek into the backgrounds of the people you let into your life — a nanny or housekeeper, an online acquaintance, a potential business partner — and be reasonably satisfied they’re not predators or crooks.

You may feel squeamish about digging up dirt on people — and privacy advocates do worry about some methods people use to gather that dirt and its potential misuse.