Why is it important to run a google search of the email address of a new 'friend' you meet online?

Scammers change email addresses like we change underwear, but doing a search of an email address for a new person you meet online may help you avoid getting scammed.
We try to teach people to post information about scams, and scammers, online. This means many email addresses used by scammers will show up in the search engines.
A scammer generally doesn't easily abandon an email address he or she is currently using for contact with victims, or potential victims. When they do, they will usually claim the email account was 'hacked', or they otherwise lost access to it.
Please, do a google search of the email address for the new person you are in contact with. You may find nothing, you may find many things that don't add up to the story they tell you, or worse.
Thousands of 'baiters' and other anti-scam activists put the information about scammers online for this purpose, to help you, if you bother to look.
You can additionally use other search services, like Spokeo. Spokeo will tell you a lot about real American people you meet on the 'net. Search anybody by name, e-mail address, phone number, online username or even friends in your address book and instantly return lots of info.

We recommend SPOKEO

Spokeo lets you search blogs, social network sites, and other site on the 'net to find information about anyone, searching names, user names, phone numbers, or email addresses!
Find anybody's photos, videos and blogs instantly. You may be surprised!