How to Conduct a
Complete Background Check on Anyone
Keywords: investigation,
background check, assets, public records, court records, address
book, Information providers, database companies
The reasons for wanting to conduct an
investigation on someone (doing a background check) are as
diverse as the ways in which to do so...
In other words - your interest in finding out more about your
subject could be as simple as being "curious" - to being as
serious as verifying the assets of an investor, conducting
criminal activity investigations and so on. Or maybe you want to
investigate your spouse's past - or their current activity.
Regardless, the following tips can be universally applied to any
type (or purpose) of investigation...
1. Get Organized!
If you're going to be serious about uncovering the facts about a
person or situation, then you'll not only need to be relentless
and dedicated - you need to be as organized as possible.
Why? Because, as is often said - the "devil" is in the
details...
One piece of seemingly "insignificant" information could later
become a pivotal piece of the puzzle. Therefore, you need to
keep a log of everything you currently know, as well as any -
and I mean ANY - extra information you run into during this
process.
Whether it's a simple notepad or a wireless, hand-held computer,
you need to be VIGILANT when it comes to storing, organizing and
referring to facts that you're able to collect.
2. Start In Your Own Backyard, First
If you're conducting an investigation about someone you know -
or if you're wondering who's been calling from an unfamiliar
phone number - before you start searching for information from
outside sources, be sure to do a thorough check of your OWN
documents, records, day-planners, computer files and so on.
That "strange" phone number could belong to a friend or
relative, and maybe it's located in an old dusty address book.
That's just one example.
Regardless, if applicable to your situation, start "close to
home", and then step up the investigation if need be. This could
potentially save you hours (or days) of time right off the bat.
One tool that we recommend is Google's "Desktop Pack", which
includes a great search tool that searches through the files,
documents and archives on your PC just as if it were a web
search.
You can download it (free) by going to pack.google.com
3. The Three Best Sources for Obtaining Information
Time is of the essence, so let's review the three most-likely
sources for valuable information in ANY investigation...
A) People who know your subject and/or have been in contact with
them. Keep in mind that most people are willing to respond to
your questions if you ask them in a polite manner, and without
"beating around the bush".
B) Printed materials, documents and records. These include:
directories, newspaper content, magazine articles, medical
records, financial records, utility records, employment & rental
applications, and public government records. (This is the
so-called "paper-trail")
C) Information Providers - database companies - who have access
to government/public records and other data. These usually
charge a nominal fee for access or use.
4. Google(TM) Can Find A Lot More Than You Might Think...
Search engines like Google(TM) are frequently under fire due to
the fact that sensitive information like banking information,
credit card numbers, invoice records, specific contact
information, addresses and other personal details can often be
pulled up in seconds just by running a simple search.
For example, Google's "spider" (the algorithm that "visits"
millions of web pages periodically in order to effectively build
its index of listings) can often end up indexing sensitive pages
such as account login details, job applications, and even
customer databases on e-commerce websites.
In every case, this is due to an inexperienced web developer or
a mistake/error on the part of the website owner, as webmasters
can easily secure or hide web content by building their sites
properly. (It's not the fault of the search engine, although
it's not uncommon).
Regardless, due to literally tens of thousands of these types of
"slip-ups" by sites that manage some kind of user base or
submission process, it's possible to find a lot more than you
might think by using Google, Yahoo and MSN search.
For example, you might try searching for some of these variables
to see if any of them have been indexed, which would likely lead
to further information:
* Email Address
* Residential Address
* Phone Number (Even a cell phone)
* SSN Number
* Vehicle ID Number (VIN)
* Driver's License Number
* Their Full Name (could pull up public records or, in rare
cases, legal opinions)
* Job Title & Company
* Credit Card Number
And so on.
This seemingly "obvious" method can often work wonders.
5. Public Records
Did you know that the general public can freely access court
records (both criminal and civil), the national sex offender
registry, inmate records, bankruptcy filings, marriage/divorce
records and similar records in the United States?
There's no "one" central location for searching public records
like this, and most databases are limited to a specific county,
state or municipality.
My suggestion is to simply run a search in Google.com for the
type of records you're looking for, and the location. So, for
example, if you wanted to investigate someone in Boise, Idaho,
you could run a search like this:
Court Records + Boise Idaho
Filter through the results until you find an actual court
website with court records or dockets available for the site
users. In many cases, you won't be charged access, while others
will manage access to their records through a consolidated
search engine such as PACER (The US Judiciary's central 'Public
Access to Court Electronic Records'), which will cost a few
cents per page view.
Court records are a broad term that can encompass basically any
type of legal action. If, for example, you wanted to see if
someone has a criminal history, you could search for their name
in the applicable court records databases, as well as in the US
Judiciary's Sex Offender Registry, VINELink's inmate database,
and the Federal Penitentiary database of inmates.
Alternately, if you wanted to gain an idea of someone's
financial history, you could run a search for civil lawsuits, as
credit card companies and similar creditor agencies will sue
debtors if there's been an issue of prolonged nonpayment or
contractual breaches. Bankruptcy filings can also be accessed in
some locations.
Again, public records sources are invaluable, but they can also
be difficult to find. If you'll be doing investigations
frequently, you might consider investing in a membership site or
software program that organizes public records searches from one
central location. Prices range from $29.99 - $49.99 on average.
In conclusion, conducting a complete background check on someone
isn't just possible - it's become much easier these days with
the advent of the internet and online public records.
Follow these tips in chronological order for the most effective
and efficient investigation possible.
Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/free-articles/how-to-conduct-a-complete-background-check-on-anyone-177164.html
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