A question from a reader:
Q: I would like to know how I can get a background check on someone, if it's possible to do this myself. This is very important to me.
My response:
“Background check” means different things to different people. What do you want to know? Why do you want to know? Your answers to those questions will determine whether an effective background check is possible.
There are hundreds of online sources that claim to provide background checks. Unfortunately most can’t be trusted to provide accurate and timely information. When you rely on unverified information to make important decisions about a person you not only risk making the wrong decision, you could also find yourself being sued or prosecuted.
Privacy is important. Examining some areas of a person’s background requires their written consent. Without it you can’t get the information you want. Even when the desired information is a public record, accurate and complete data can be hard to obtain. For instance, criminal conviction history is a public record. Unfortunately, there is no central criminal history database available to the public. To do a complete criminal history check in California you would have to go to every county in the state to check their records. You would then have to confirm that their information is correct. Official records often contain errors. Without verifying and crosschecking the data you can’t be certain of it validity. If the person has lived in other states the difficulty grows exponentially. Just figuring out where to look for records is a daunting task even for professionals. It is an impossible task for the average person. Some online sources claim to have accurate data from every county in the country. Be very skeptical of those claims.
Competent background investigators check their information against multiple trusted sources and do independent verifications before giving you a report. Without such diligence, background information is worthless.
If you have a legitimate need to do a background investigation on someone, contact a licensed private investigator who specializes in this kind of work. These investigators have accurate and timely background information sources that aren’t available to the average person. They also understand the sometimes complicated legal issues that surround background investigations. They know what FCRA, EEOC, FEHC and HIPAA stand for, do you? If you don’t, trying to do a background check on your own could subject you to civil penalties and criminal prosecution under various state and federal laws. Be careful when hiring an investigator. Unless they are properly licensed, insured and specialize in doing background investigations - and can prove it - don't hire them.
If, as you say, the results of a background check are important to you, I strongly recommend that you retain a professional investigator to acquire the information you need.
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