To fill the gaps, one upstart lender, China Rapid Finance, supplements data analysis with on-the-ground spade work. The company’s investigators, in more than 90 cities, check for the number of toothbrushes or towels to determine how many people are living in a house. They look for dirty dishes in the kitchen. They take photos of a potential borrower at work to confirm employment status.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/11/business/international/snooping-in-the-bathroom-to-assess-credit-risk-in-china.html