If you are an employer, it is a must for you to check the background of the candidates. You want to do this because you do not want to hire someone who has a criminal record. The good news is that there are a number of websites where you can find out if someone has a criminal record. These websites claim that you can do it for free. Some of the websites that you can visit include:
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- Truthfinder
Advantages:
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- There is a mobile version for Android.
- You can use it for self-monitoring.
- If you have the monthly membership, you will be able to get unlimited reports.
- If you want to use the reports legally, you can get the clear information about the FCRA.
- It releases vital records.
- The reports give the updated information.
Disadvantages:
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- It is a must for you to sign up for a monthly membership.
- There is no way for you to purchase a single report.
- If you want to get the reports in PDF format, you will need to pay an extra fee.
- It only has data about the residents of the United States.
- There are a ton of ads.
2. Intelius
Advantages:
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- The design of the website is eye-catching.
- It provides the most accurate and updated background reports in the industry.
- There is an Android mobile app and iOS version that has many exact features as the website.
- Compared to several competitors, the subscriptions are cheaper.
Disadvantages:
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- It is pretty hard to find the pricing information.
- There are a lot of services that are claimed to be unique but serve a similar purpose.
- There are different opinions on the accuracy of the data.
3. Instant Checkmate
Advantages:
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- The website offers a free trial period.
- The website is easy to use.
- The website is convenient.
- The website is accurate.
- The website gives deep search results.
- If you subscribe to a monthly plan, you will be able to get unlimited reports.
- There are a lot of search options available.
- There is an app version that is available for those with Android.
Disadvantages:
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- There is a paid subscription.
- It renews automatically.
- It lacks up-to-date information.
- Search results may take a long time to finalize.
- There is no way for you to find the option for single reports.
- There is only one support option.
- There is no app version for iOS.
4. US Search
Advantages:
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- It is affordable.
- It offers an affordable monthly subscription.
- There are multiple search sources.
- It has a simple pricing structure.
- The report format is organized pretty well.
- It has extensive records.
- It has rapid results and comprehensive reporting.
Disadvantages:
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- It does not have Fair Credit Reporting Act or FCRA accreditation.
- The webpage needs updating.
- It only has a few divorce and marriage records.
- It takes time to search.
- Sometimes, it lacks contemporary information.
- Sometimes, it shows duplicate records.
Once again, there are a lot of websites that claim to be able to provide you with free background checks, including the ones explained above. However, the “free” word used by them is debatable. If you really want to check the background of someone without having to pay for any, you may want to consider some of the followings:
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- Search engines
For starters, you can search the criminal record of someone on a search engine. To be able to do that, all that you have to do is to open any search engine that you prefer, such as Google, Bing, or Internet Explorer, type the name of the person and then press Enter. By doing so, you may be able to see a few things such as images, social media profiles, and content published by that individual. If the person has a common name, it is better for you to type their full name or add where they are from. For instance, if the name of the person is Elon Musk, you can use the keyword such as Elon Musk Tesla.
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- Social media
In this social media era, it is almost unlikely for someone to not have social media. It means there is a high chance of someone that you are looking for to have social media, which will make it easier for you to find the information about them. Some social media platforms that you can use to look for the information of that person include Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, TikTok, and so on.
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- Credit reports or scores
Getting a copy of someone else’s credit report is not allowed as it is illegal. If you want to examine yourself for fraud, the credit bureaus are the right offices to contact and to get a report. The government made the checks offered freely yearly. However, it will be needed for those who want to get an extra report within the year to pay for the required costs. From the other bureaus, you can also find the identity verification.
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- Government websites
There are a lot of government websites that you can visit to find information about a person. What is good about it is the fact that you can get it for free. One of the government websites is called NICS.
If you want to find a compilation of relations of an individual, you can visit ZabaSearch. Aside from displaying a compilation of relations of an individual, it also shows schools attended, workplace, and address history. If you are looking for the website that focuses more on criminal history and arrest records, go to Arrest.US. it is a free website that focuses more on such things. All of them provide data such as property ownership and birth records.
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- Public records
If you want to know information about someone who lives in a certain state, the best thing that you can do is to visit the official website of the government. For instance, it is better for you to go to the NCSC for more accurate free public records if you are looking for court records. However, you should know that it is important for you to find the previous and current addresses of that person because every state has court records.
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- Prison records
Another thing that you can visit to find out if someone has a criminal record is the court office of the county clerk. By visiting the local sheriff’s office and the correctional facility department, you will be able to get a free criminal record background check. Aside from that, you can also get information by looking via state or municipal prison databases. For those who want to find the felony record of someone, you are suggested to use the “corrections prisoner” tag provided by Bing. For this, you will have to know the official website of that individual. After that, enter the details of that person to see if that person has any criminal history.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
