What Is a Background Check?

Background checks are a great way to gain insight into people, their background, and their histories. This is done by using data from various sources like public records. These background checks are automatically generated with public databases maintained by state and federal governments as well as private companies.

Whether you want to know more about someone you found on a dating site or wish to make sure if the online dealer is reliable, doing a fast background check with FastPeopleSearch can help you.

You can verify if a person is who they claim to be. It provides you details of everything including educational background, work history, criminal records, etc. When you conduct a background search about a person, you get access to a detailed report of the person’s background details within minutes.

What Will You Know from a Background Check?

  • Criminal Records

    Whether you need to know the criminal history of your new date or your new neighbor, this criminal records section can help you out. This gives a comprehensive report of instances of various criminal offenses charged against the person including arrest records, misdemeanor charges, sexual assaults, warrants, mugshots, etc.

  • Contact Details

    The background check report gives the contact details of the person, such as the current and previous addresses, current and previous email addresses, active and inactive social media profiles, current phone numbers, etc.

  • Court Documents

    The report has substantial details of records collected from various courthouses around the nation. It encompasses items like criminal cases, bankruptcy details, active and inactive court cases, legal judgments, and much more.

  • Personal Information

    The background screen report also has personal information about the person like name, nicknames/aliases, current and past occupation records, relatives, associates, neighbors, etc.

Why Is a Background Check Necessary?

A background check may be necessary for various reasons. Everyone has the right to know about the people you interact with. But, the most common reasons why a background check is considered necessary include -

  • Personal Safety - You may want to do a complete background check on someone you know through an online dating site or virtual platform. A background check can give you deep insight into who the person is.
  • Verify the Identity of the Online Buyer/Seller - When you plan to buy/sell things online, it is reasonable to feel doubtful about the authenticity of the seller/buyer. With a background check, you can verify if the person is who he claims to be and make an informed decision about buying/selling from him.
  • Neighbor Details - Having a suspicious new neighbor can be stressful considering the safety of your family. You can do a detailed background check about the person to make sure if your suspicions are anything of concern.
  • Self-check - Sometimes you might even want to run a check on your records to know what is stopping you from getting a job and to look for inaccuracies.

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How to Conduct a Background Check?

You can easily conduct a background check by yourself using various simple tools or websites.

Using Search Engines

You can use search engines like Google, Bing to do a background check online with no charges involved. You just need to type the person's name on the search tab. It is better to type any other information you may know about the person to narrow down your search. Check on the images, news as well as videos tab to look for more information.

Using FastPeopleSearch

FastPeopleSearch offers background search service online. Unlike background searches done on search engines or social media, FastPeopleSearch gives you a detailed background check report by doing just a few steps.

Step 1- At the top of the homepage, click on the background check section.

Step 2- Type the first and last name of the person whose background information you are looking for.

Step 3- Click “Start Search” and wait for the report to be generated. Click on the matching profile and review the background check details.

Using Social Networks

Social media profiles can give you more details than a search engine. Check out various social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok to know the background details of the person you are searching for.

Why Should Online Court Records Not Be Used to Check a Person's Background?

It is important to understand that court records are provided only for informational purposes. There may definitely be cases of errors or omissions on such online court records. Also, in some states, it is an offense to use court records details to deny work or rental opportunities for a person.

Some important reasons to know why you should not use online court records to check a person's background are as follows.

  • Court records don't mostly include criminal history. So, searching online court records is not the same as a criminal background check.
  • Not all official court records are available on online court records. Some files that are sealed, available only in paper format, old and archived ones will not be available online.

What If You Want to Do an Employment Background Check?

There are certain laws to comply with when you want to use a background check for hiring employees for you or your firm. The most important of all those federal and state laws regarding employment background checks is the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

It is highly important to use background check services that comply with FCRA. This ensures that all the information you get is reliable. Doing a background check with a random service provider can be not accurate as well as risky.

Background Check FAQs

Public records and a background check - are they the same?

Public records are a compilation of details that are publicly available for everyone on the internet. A background check is more comprehensive and provides details that you could not get from public records alone. It gives special emphasis on providing an extensive criminal history report.

From where all of the information found on a background report is taken?

The details provided by an online background check service are taken mostly from public records, criminal data repositories of private as well as government, court records, and much more.

Is it possible to do a free background check by myself?

Yes, you can use search engines and social media platforms to do a free background check of a person. But, criminal records and certain personal information are difficult to find as they may not be available publicly.

Should I run a self background check?

Yes, you can. This can help you to spot inaccurate or outdated information about yourself and take the necessary steps to handle them.

Is there a way to delete my background check information?

Currently, the only way to delete your background check information from online sites is to contact each service provider and request for manual deletion. However, it is a tedious process.

Should I search myself or use an online background check provider?

It is always better to do a background check using an online background check service provider. A background check provider will give you a comprehensive report that encompasses the required details with just a click. It is time-saving and more reliable than searching for yourself from various sources.

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