There are now lots of ways to check people’s background for free. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to fall victim of a scam as well. Some of the tools that are out there really just want to collect your information. You sign up for an account, enter the name of the person you want to check out, and they basically just run a Google search, which is something you could have done yourself. This is why you need to take the time to review the services that are out there, particularly if you want to pay for them as well. Check them out on the BBB and look into their refund policy as a starting point.
How to Check People for Free and/or Properly
The first thing you need to do is understand why you want to look into someone’s background. Common reasons are:
- Because you are curious.
- Because you want to know if someone has a criminal history.
- Because you are looking for someone’s address.
- Because you want to know if someone is married.
- Because you want to know if someone is incarcerated.
- Because you have received emails from an unknown address.
- Because you want to understand someone’s criminal and financial background.
- Because you want to find your birth parents.
- Because you want to find your adopted children.
- Because you want to know what is out there about you.
Regardless of what your reasons for looking up someone’s background are, there are methods out there that work. One of those is to hire a private investigator but that is obviously also very expensive. Instead, you should consider putting in a bit of time and energy yourself and find information that is guaranteed to be both accurate and actual, which is of particular importance.
Unfortunately, the reality is also that a proper background check is highly complex. People move, data changes, life goes on. Information that you can find online has the potential to be out of date and even plain wrong, for instance as a result of human error or mistaken identity. This is particularly the case if you are looking up someone who has a common name. It all depends on what you need to know this information for and how important it is that it is factual and current, therefore. The more important that is, the more likely it is that you will have to pay for the services.
One thing to remember, as well, is that you should avoid being a creep. We are all nosy and want to know everything, particularly in the age of social media. But it is all too easy to enter the realms of stalking, doxing, and more. While there are a lot of resources out there to help you check people out online, there are even more resources out there for those who feel victimized by that behavior. And do also remember that if you want to use the information you find to decide on someone’s job, housing, or financial application, you must go through official channels.
