Unsure of Your Neighbor? Perform a Free Online Record Examination! | The Communication Blog

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Unsure of Your Neighbor? Perform a Free Online Record Examination!

By Jose F. Garno


Looking for a free background checks? You're not alone. Annually, thousands of people search Google trying to discover that one thorough background check that's totally free. If you are one of those trying to find the elusive 100% free criminal record check, you can stop right now. It really does not exist. Countless websites advertise free background searches; but they will not deliver any kind of information besides a name, a couple of simple identifiers and knowledge that a fairly easy Google search provides. For "full" immediate criminal checks, you will usually be asked to sign up for the site or pay a one-time charge.

When people do decide to spend on these immediate criminal checks, they usually expect the final results to be accurate. After all, the searches are just taking information from a central public records database right? Wrong! While the National Crime Information Center is available for police officers, there is never been a complete public records database open to the private sector.

Therefore where do online background screening businesses get the information for their own "free" criminal background checks? They often end up searching free databases given by local and state authorities. The problem with these databases is that they are frequently unfinished, infrequently maintained and also imprecise. Even worse, court clerks in many regions of the nation don't post any criminal records online.

When immediate checks do find criminal records, the records are sometimes for an individual who has similar identifiers to the individual being researched. For example, try doing an immediate criminal search for someone named "John Jones" in your state. Would you be certain that any of the records that appear really belongs to the one "John Jones" you're looking into?

Before reporting a criminal record, professional background screeners attempt to match a number of identifiers like name, birth date as well as Social Security number, in order to make certain the record is made for the proper person. If the true court data files lack some of these identifiers, the background screener might call district attorneys, probation officers and also jails to locate matching identification. This particular service could never be given by an immediate background check.

Many individuals and companies who depend on free instant criminal background checks will be shocked to find out exactly how inaccurate and incomplete they are. The Wall Street Journal recently did an assessment of some of the most popular "free" check services including InfoRegistry, US Search, Intelius, and NetDetective. The test subject was a middle-aged lady with no criminal history. Even though this should have been a simple search, every single instant background check returned results full of mistakes. The Intelius check even turned up three false civil judgments for any Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

These checks weren't only inaccurate, they were also costly. They ranged in price from $30 for a 1-year subscription to $50 for 1-month access. Plus, like other "free" online record checks, they tried to get users to enroll in a number of extra services that would bill their credit cards every month.

While instant checks might have their place, only human-run searches will regularly produce complete and accurate outcomes. The entire process of browsing a county's computer records or even visiting a courthouse may be time consuming, but it is likewise necessary for employers who wish to avoid negligent hiring lawsuits.




About the Author:



The Communication Blog
Bookmark and Share

No comments:

Post a Comment

 

The Communication Blog Copyright © 2009