Online Background Check: Just The Facts, Jack

Have you ever wanted to run a background check on someone? Perhaps an odd neighbor, new suitor, or potential babysitter? Running a background check isn’t tough these days. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, you can dig up that dirt with a handful of clicks. If something just doesn’t seem right, you don’t have to sit and wonder. Flash that plastic and run all the background checks your heart desires (and credit line permits) …

Background checks can provide a host of information, including:
criminal records, marriage records, divorce records, legal proceedings,
lawsuits, liens, and bankruptcies. You can find out where someone has
lived (and under what names), who they owe, and what they own.

Given the extent of information available to anyone through a
background check, I’m not sure that George Orwell would be proud, but
he might just say “I told ya so.”

I’ve never personally run a background check on anyone. But I know people who have. It’s an eye-opener.

Nothing quite speaks to the crazy paranoid Internet-connected world
that we live in like the popularity of the online background check.
There are scores of companies that exist solely to provide the
background information that inquiring minds want to know. While simple
reports can start at $10, the price quickly goes up depending on the
type and volume of information required.

If you need to run a report on someone, be sure to use a company
that specializes in providing the specific information you need (ie: if
you’re a landlord, look for a company that provides tenant checks).
You’ll also do well to check out the background check company before
you plunk down your cash … look closely for solid references and
proper accreditation.