Criminal Records within Background Checks

Criminal records have become a very popular item online people search websites advertise. Even to the point that they insinuate a person to have one to make you buy their report. A criminal record, commonly referred to as a “rap sheet,” includes charges or convictions a person has in their criminal history. It contains information relating to both felonies and misdemeanors.

A person’s criminal history may be compiled and maintained in separate databases at the local, state and federal levels. However, each state has their own central repository to which they compile records from courts, police and correctional facilities of all levels of state government. Nowadays, information is stored digitally. These records usually are accurate. Nonetheless, all states have procedures to correct possible errors in the recording or reporting of this information.

Most of us come to a point when we want to know more about a person and find out about their past.  We’ll examine two such instances here. Namely, hiring an employee to your home or business and online dating. In both cases, you should be looking for a background check. Additionally, it most definitely should include criminal records.

Criminal Records for Hiring Employees

Before you hire anyone, you should conduct a background check on them. That is common sense. Here the laws governing employment place restrictions on what you can and cannot do. While federal law doesn’t prevent you from asking about a future employee’s criminal history, EEO and state laws may place limitations on how you use criminal records information when you hire employees.

Home Help and Businesses

Are you looking to hire a maid, a nanny, or someone to care for your elderly parent? If so, you most certainly want to check their background. Moreover, you’d want to include a criminal records check. You wouldn’t want to hire someone who would steal from your home, abuse your children or do both to the elderly parent. The person will be entering the home environment and you want to make sure it stays safe.

Very much the same applies to businesses. No business owner should hire an employee without conducting a background check. Criminal records must be a part of it. You would not want to hire a driver with a questionable driving record. Nor would you want to hire an employee who would steal from you. I’m not talking about an employee taking an office pen home. Classic examples are bookkeepers and office managers who have discreetly swiped tens of thousands of dollars from businesses only to be caught too late.

It’s not enough just to conduct an interview and check the future employee’s references. Many people lie on their resumes and fake their education and experience to get a job. Their references also may be fictitious. It’s not that difficult to have a friend or a relative pose as a former employer.

A background check is elementary, but how to go about it is a delicate matter. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulates background checks for employment. The federal agency that enforces this law is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC website giving advice to employees also is a good source for employers.

Criminal Records for Online Dating

You’ve been chatting it up online for some time. It’s fun and flirty and exciting. It’s time to meet, but you’re not absolutely sure you know whom you’ll be meeting. You’re somewhat worried he might not be who he says he is. Good for you! You’re a cautious online dater. Aside from perhaps not having enough hair on his head, you worry he might be lying about his marital status or have a criminal record. It’s too bad you can’t just ask your computer to give it to you straight!

People on Online Dating Sites and Apps

There are many types of scams and dangers on the Internet these days. The online world leaves us vulnerable, especially in the case of love. We all so desperately want to be loved and scammers and predators know that. Consequently, they take an advantage of it. They work their way into your life to manipulate you to steal your hard-earned money or cause physical harm.

Online dating became a modern day way of trying to find a partner. But since the very beginning, criminal minds have been infiltrating dating sites and dating apps. Scammers are the easiest to spot, because they’re after money. But what about the fake identities, rapists, sex offenders, child molesters, or even psychopaths? They may seem very normal, but have a sinister mind.

As for scammers, they most likely wouldn’t have criminal records. They may not even be in this country. Yet, just checking if the person exists could save you from harm. Fake and stolen identities could be spotted by the same method.

Physical harm is another matter altogether. True, some of these people may not have criminal records, but most of them do. Or, they have something else in their past that would be suspicious, like moving around a lot.

If you’re a single mother, you most definitely wouldn’t want to date a sex offender or child molester. Who would be comfortable dating rapists or people charged with domestic violence? Furthermore, you may remember the 2017 Tinder murder and 2018 Drayton case. A background check including criminal records can save you from harm.

Live PI Advice on a Criminal Records Check

If you want to look up someone’s criminal record, you’ll most likely find it on the official state government or county clerk’s website. However, you would need to visit the websites of all the states where the person has ever lived. You may not have that information. In addition, some of them charge for the reports. So, understandably, you would not receive such data from any popular online search engine since it’s not available for them for free.

Another strike against using public records scraping websites is that their search engines can match records by mistake. It can happen if the individuals have the same or similar names. This means that their report may contain someone else’s information. A third one would be that, depending on the state, not all criminal records are available as public records. Each state has their own laws governing what information is publicly available and accessible and what is not.

Word of Caution for Employers and Online Daters

When it comes to employment, you should never use an online people search engine to check anybody’s background. As said, they are not FCRA compliant and the information you receive can well be inaccurate. They usually readily state it on their websites. If you do it, you not only break the law but put yourself at risk. The correct way is to inform the prospective employee about conducting a background check including criminal records and get their consent in writing.

As for online dating, well, you shouldn’t use online people search engines for this purpose, either. The report may be missing information or contain information of a person with the same or similar name. Also, as said, the information you’re looking for may not be publicly available online. To be safe, get the information from a licensed private investigator such as a Live PI who can get you accurate information.

Getting Information from a Private Investigator

With PeopleSearchLive, you can get a straight answer and find out what you need to know. Their investigators look for information in publicly inaccessible databases that contain current data. These databases also contain information that is not publicly available, which is an important factor when it comes to criminal records.  The search will pull up the records of the person in all the states where they have lived. You will receive much more reliable information than one of those online people searches can give you.

Online people searches are incapable of verifying information about the person in question. You yourself could call up the numbers you find online or scout out the addresses if they’re local, but you may still end up being none the wiser. A private investigator can get to the bottom of everything while being discreet. They’ll help you identify scammers and criminals. In addition, you can chat with a live, licensed private investigator. The initial consultation is free and all services are completely confidential.

If you’re merely looking to connect with an old friend from school, online people searches might do it for you. But if you want to safeguard your home or run a business and want to check out a potential employee, you’ll need to be sure you’re dealing with a good person. Likewise, if you’re dating someone or meeting someone new after swiping right and feel something is amiss, you should use a private investigator for your safety. Your real, Live PI can conduct an accurate background check. You’ll have complete peace of mind when entering a new relationship, be it romantic or business. Stop wondering and find out the answers to your burning questions today!