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Due to the high level of security concerns, the need for background checks has been on the rise.
A background check is a report that provides detailed information on a person’s past, background, and character using public records and data sources. The goal is to verify that a person is exactly who they claims to be, and that all information they provided to you is truthful.
The information they say is power. The more information you have about a person, the more you can predict a person’s future actions in a given situation. A background check is valid for a lot of reasons. Background checks are important because they give you information when you need it. Here are some valid reasons why you should run a background check.
A background check is useful for many reasons such as when you are planning a date with someone. This is essential when you want to clear some concerns regarding your safety. In such circumstance, a background check can provide the confidence and security you need.
If you plan to have a roomie soon, you might want to consider running a background check on him/her to ensure there are not red flags in their history.
This can become necessary whenever you want to see the kind of information available about you online.
We will try to be unbiased as much as possible. Depending on the algorithm the use, how and where they retrieve their data. Each provider has its strength and weakness.
Intelius is one of the top background check websites that provide users with detailed and updated records about an individual’s past activities. Any background check initiated with this Intelius comes with a report that may include records on bankruptcies, lawsuits, divorce, criminal and traffic records / history, and any other public records.
Instant Checkmate is appreciated by users for having a wide range of topics and resources to compile their public records reports. Just enter the person’s name, city, state, and M.I, from there, you can narrow down your search according to your specific needs. The source has public records available for most adults in the United States.
The platform offers one of the most comprehensive background check services with its updated sources of police records, criminal and traffic records / history and other forms of public records available. Its search directories can help you reconnect with family and friends. It is also one of the easiest ways to look up criminal and traffic records online.
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a law that guides how information relating to consumer credit and other information is collected, shared and used.
FCRA has provided the framework and guidelines that employers should adhere to when asking, receiving, and using background checks to screen potential employees. As a statutory requirement, employers must use FCRA complaint background check services for employment screening
An FCRA background check upholds the rights of the employee throughout the entire background check process. It is required for all types of background checks. Because of the strict requirements, most employers prefer to hire the services of FCRA compliant background check provider.
As an employer, you are prohibited from using non-FCRA compliant website for conducting background checks.
Here are some examples of FCRA compliant background check providers.
Age: The individual’s date of birth
Legal name: Most people claim to be who they are not by falsifying their names. Hence, a background check becomes necessary.
Phone numbers: Your phone number will be verified by the potential employer to know if you have wrong contact details.
Known aliases: This is to ascertain if you have any other known you can be addressed with.
Traffic records: Traffic records may be conducted to know the driving history of a person and if he has violated any traffic law within a period.
Current and last known address: An employer may run a check to determine the current and last address of a potential employee. This can also be conducted by the criminal investigation department as a part of their investigation processes.
Relatives: Most organizations run compensation and other benefit programs for their employee’s relatives, so they need to verify if the number of relatives is following what was submitted.
Criminal Records: When allowed by state law, many organizations conduct criminal and traffic record searches on potential hires, especially on those who will be handling sensitive company information or driving.
Liens: An investigation may include conducting searches to see if a potential hire who will handle money has outstanding liens.
Online activity: A background check may be conducted by an organization to verify the online activity of potential hires.
Weapon permits: It is a check performed to know if a person has the legal license to be in possession of any weapon.
Social media information: Many organization extracts the social media information of a potential hire and subject it to analysis before considering the person fit for employment.
Judgments: A background check can be conducted to ascertain if a person has been convicted by any court of law in the past.
The question of how the emplyment background checks companies source info about an individual remains a mystery to many people. Here are valid sources where they get verified information.
The first source from which background check companies get information is from the individual himself. The FCRA vendor will check public records such as Credit headers, DMV, vital records and other third-party records to verify if the applicant’s information is correct.
To ascertain a person’s employment and educational records, many background check companies choose to contact the past employer or school directly. However, due to ethical concerns, most employers are reluctant to disclose info about their past employees.
Background check companies rely on a person’s credit records to get information on bankruptcies, liens, eviction issues and other fundraising challenges an individual has had in the past.
To get reliable information concerning a person’s criminal and traffic records/history, the Consumer Reporting Agencies search state, local or county records.
Background check websites conduct sex offenders search and national criminal background checks on an individual to provide useful information.
There are different ways FCRA -background check companies conduct check on an individual. This depends on the situation and the reason for the check. Here is a list of ten common ways background check is compiled on an individual.
Is background information free? All the information sourced by background check companies are retrieved from public records. Such info is readily available to anyone who is ready to spend some time to research and find it. Some background check companies provide free basic background check directories to assist those who need limited information about someone or even themselves.
Although many background check service companies compile information from various sources and provide background check services for a fee(either monthly plan or fixed payment), if you don’t want to pay for such services and you prefer free information, then you can gain access to the kind of info you need with free background check services. All you need is to follow the instructions outlined in the state guidelines. With it, you can freely check any public records locally.
You can view each state to see how you can locate most public records for free (click on map above)
Removing your info from a public source is not an easy process because there is no specific place you can click and remove everything. Some services allow you to suppress reports from their sites. Each site has a different procedure for removal. Some will ask you to fill a contact form while others will require you to contact them directly. Some may even require you to send them a valid means of identification. However, be prepared to spend a lot of time contacting each of these top-rated background check websites and submitting their requirements one after another.
This is just the beginning as you have to keep checking periodically to ensure new information about you does not appear. The best thing to do to prevent these background check sites from capturing negative data is to avoid actions that are publicly reported, such as getting arrested, filing for bankruptcy or getting a divorce.
Whenever a background check is mentioned, what comes to the minds of most people is a criminal and traffic record history check. But it is far more than that. Anyone can conduct a background check from public records. It is performed whenever you want to ascertain the real identity of a person, be it criminal and traffic records / history, marital status, age, or any other kind of verification. Generally, background checks help its users to make informed decisions and avoid lots of mistakes.