What are some common mistakes made by individuals who conduct their own background checks?

Don’t be misled by information brokers or PIs who advise that “their way is the only way.” There are many useful online tools for doing a background check. The question is, “Are you getting incomplete or inaccurate results?”

Your searches will be free, which doesn’t make the data bad. However, we recommend you research and assess whether the data meets your standards before investing your hard-earned money. If not, call a reputable PI.

Here are some tips for you before you spend money:

1.) Identity: One obstacle is that your search may lead to confusion with familiar names or incorrect identifications. If you are searching for John Smith, enough said. Many public indexes do not use these as identifying markers even if you have a date of birth or social security number.

2.) Court Records: A time-consuming task to be sure if you search multiple jurisdictions. Some indexes advise they are nationwide in the search criteria but that is a fairy-tale.

3.) Single Index: Don’t rely on just one index. Use multiple sources.

4.) Law Violations: Comply with the Privacy Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, and GLB Act.

5.) Multiple Identities: Subjects with nefarious intent, credit problems, drugs, alcohol, mental illness and prison change names and addresses frequently. Make sure your search includes alias and address searches.

6.) U.S. Consumer Public Filing Index: This is one of the most important searches for any background investigation. The public can not access this index, which provides bankruptcies, notices of defaults, judgments, tax liens, and problems with the IRS. Get a pro to access this data.

7.) Google: Good information but not close to a comprehensive check.

8.) Outdated data: Many good free indexes are available. Just be careful of the ones with outdated, incomplete, or erroneous information. You don’t want to make decisions based on that data.

9.) Civil & Criminal Records: Don’t be fooled by “nationwide searches.” They don’t exist for most indexes. For example, in California, there are 58 counties. Only 17 sell the data to us. The others need to be completed by a hand search at the courthouse.

10.) Social Media: One can determine factual inconsistencies and red flags on these sites. You can often verify their education and work history on their bios and LinkedIn.

When doing a background check on a potential mate, employees in sensitive positions, financial advisors or money management companies, nannies, or personal safety, you will be best served to hire a professional.