What do you think is available about yourself on the internet? Running a personal background check on yourself is a crucial step in assessing your digital footprint and online reputation.
Remember, your employers, childcare providers, financial advisors, landlords, and even law enforcement agencies conduct background checks on you all the time. Hence, if you want more control over your data privacy and personal security, it is advisable to take these steps regularly. This article provides a step-by-step guide to carry out a free background verification efficiently.
What is a background check?
A personal background check is a consumer report you run for yourself. It’s all about compiling and reviewing public information from various sources to create a detailed picture. This search would include criminal records, credit history, employment verification, and address history. The goal is to determine what your employers, landlords, and others can discover when they conduct a background check on your identity.
What to look for in a background check?
Your personal background check can yield a wide range of information, allowing for the creation of a detailed profile. Understanding the scope of these reports will help you search as thoroughly as possible. So, usually a comprehensive check will reveal the following information:
- Criminal records: This is the core component, which includes checking county criminal records, national criminal databases, arrest records, and the national sex offender registry.
- Credit history: Landlords and lenders often look at your credit report and credit score. Their goal is to assess your financial history, including loans, debt collections, and bankruptcies.
- Employment & Education: Usually, employers can conduct employment and education verification to confirm your stated employment history. They will look at job titles, dates, and the legitimacy of your degrees and certifications.
- Civil records: This includes non-criminal court proceedings, such as civil court cases, monetary liens, and judgments against you.
- Online and personal data: This is about finding your address history, associated phone numbers, social media profiles, assets, and property ownership records.
- Driving records: A report about your driving records would contain driver’s license status, traffic violations, accident reports, and any major infractions like DUI records.
How to run a background check on yourself?
Consider how extensive your scope can be; you might wonder, ‘How do I run a background check on myself?’ Here, we will discuss the steps you can take.
Do-it-yourself background check
Consider running a free background search using the numerous websites and online hacks available.
Trace your SSN
The first step you should take is to contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to request a copy of your Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement (PEBES). Doing this helps you ensure that your reported earnings are correct and not used for any fraudulent activities. To do this:
- Go to the SSN website and sign in.
- Once in, you can view your earnings record, tax form, benefit letter, update your direct deposit information, and complete other tasks.
🔎Read Also: How to Find Someone’s Social Security Number
Check criminal records
To check your criminal records, there are several websites and records you need to access. They include:
- Start with your state’s official online judicial case search portal.
- Next, visit the county clerk’s office in person or online.
- Go to your local police department (where you live or last lived) in person and request a background check.
- For a fee, you can use the FBI identity history summary (also called a criminal history or rap sheet).
Verify employment and educational history
You can send an email to your previous employer’s HR department and your educational institution’s registrars. They can help you confirm the correct dates of employment, titles, and degrees earned on file. They can also help you with your salaries and reasons for leaving, to check for inconsistencies.
Credit report check
Your credit report is one of the easiest free background verifications you can do. By law, you are entitled to a free annual credit report from each of the three major bureaus(Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). Here’s how to do so:
- Go to AnnualCreditReport.com and select a bureau, two, or all three.
- Review your report for efforts such as accounts you don’t recognize or signs of identity theft.
- If you find any mistakes, you can dispute them with the credit bureau or contact your creditor directly.
Get your driving record
You can request your driving record, often referred to as a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR), from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for a small fee. To do this:
- Send an email to MVR or visit your state’s DMV website and use the online services. Alternatively, you can also visit the DMV office in person.
- Usually, you need to submit your full name, date of birth, a photocopy of your driver’s photo ID, signature, and driver’s license number to confirm it’s yours.
- Usually, you will receive a non-certified copy via email or physical mailing address. If you want a certified copy, it will be sent to you via postal mail.
- Check your personal information, traffic citation, violations, license suspensions, and more.
Review address history
It’s also essential to review the types of physical and mailing address information available. Here are different ways you can check this specific information:
- Use your credit report and old tax records.
- Check your criminal records in all relevant jurisdictions.
It’s a typical incident to find people caught in drama online when others dig up old posts that put them in a negative spotlight. Therefore, it is essential to review your public-facing information on all social media profiles regularly. Scan through your photos, videos, posts, tags, and comments where possible. Check that they reflect the professional image you want to present.
Run an incognito internet search on yourself
Googling yourself is also a great way to conduct a free background check. However, it’s much better to do so in incognito or private mode. That way, your search history won’t tamper with the results.
- Simply go to private mode on your browser.
- Next, type in your full name into Google.
- Check to see what kind of results to expect, including whether the website will honor or mention you, your phone number, addresses, and more.
- You can also use other search engines like Bing to see what anyone else can easily find.
Personal background check services
If the DIY approach is consuming too much time, there are other powerful and convenient solutions. There are companies specializing in compiling data from numerous sources to generate detailed personal background reports. They are handy when you want to achieve the depth of a formal employment background check.
Sterling
Sterling is a leading name in the people search industry. Employees use them for pre-employment screening. However, you can also request a copy of your own background check report to see what a prospective employer might see. To begin:
- Go to the Sterling website.
- In the top bar to the right, click the “my background check” option.
- Enter your details to create an account and begin.
GoodHire
GoodHire is also a top-tier service used by businesses to carry out background checks on employees. You can also use it to self-check your identity. GoodHire will provide access to reports, including your credit history, criminal database, verification of employment history, and education. Here’s how it works:
- Go to GoodHire website.
- Click on the “personal checks” button to the top right of the page.
- Enter your email address and click on “submit”
- Enter a few more details about you and pay the search fee.
Online people search tool
When you want a quick but effective snapshot of your publicly available information, online people search tools are suitable. Note that these sites aren’t compliant for official employment or tenant screening under the FCRA. But they can also unearth as many details as possible. A fantastic example is People Finder. You’ll love how this website can compile data from various public and commercial sources to create reports that include your address history, social media profiles, possible relatives and more. Using this can give you a general idea of your digital footprint. Here’s how to use People Finder:
- Go to PeopleFinder website
- Enter your name, city and state.
- Answer a few more questions to access a detailed report that’s equivalent to carrying out a free background verification.
Benefits of running a self-background check
Conducting a personal background check is a powerful and necessary move. You should also do so as frequently as possible for your professional and personal security. Here are the primary benefits it enables you:
- Ensuring the accuracy of personal records helps you be proactive in identifying and correcting errors in public records. That way, you can prevent unnecessary complications before a potential employer or landlord discovers them.
- Detecting identity theft or fraud: You can uncover red flags like fraudulent accounts or criminal activity in your name. It allows you to act swiftly to mitigate damage.
- Preparing for job interviews: When you proactively search, you can walk into employment screening with confidence. This is because you know what exactly will be found and can be prepared to discuss items transparently.
- Improving your digital reputation: You can audit your online footprint to reclaim and maintain control.
FAQ
How long does it take to run a background check?
Doing a background check on your own should take days to complete. However, comprehensive paid services like Sterling or GoodHire usually require 1 to 3 business days. There’s still a possibility the database might bring back some information instantly as well.
Can an individual run a background check on someone?
Yes, but for official purposes like tenancy or employment, you must get the person’s written consent. Without it, you can still search using public records or people search website. That said, always remember that you shouldn’t sell someone’s data commercially or use it for nefarious purposes.
Can you run a background check with a phone number?
A full check requires more information. However, background checks aren’t just for criminal or credit records alone. You can use a dependable reverse lookup service by LocatePhone to verify identity forms of contact records and correct outdated records connected to the said individual. This reverse lookup service will find the name and address associated with that number, thereby complementing a browser search.
Conclusion
Your digital footprint often serves as a first impression. Hence, it’s necessary to carry out a personal background check proactively. This will help you reclaim control, ensure your records are accurate and safeguard your reputation. Don’t wait for someone else to define your story. Use this guide to carry out a background search for free and uncover insights to step forward with confidence and peace of mind.
