How to Run an Instant Background Check
Google the person’s name., Scan your results., Check Facebook and other social networks., Check criminal background websites.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Google the person’s name.
Google is a powerful tool, but other search engines like Bing or Yahoo will work, too.
Run a search on the person’s name or variations on his name to see what shows up in the results.
Go to the search engine main page.
Then, in the search box, type your target’s name.
Search for other terms related to the person, if you know more about him, like his company’s name, professional affiliations, or other things.
If you want to be more specific, type “site” before your query to narrow the search to a single website.
For example, if you want to google a “John Brown” at the Hoover Institute, type as follows: site:hooverinstitute.org “John Brown”.You can focus in the same way on types of sites, like .edu, .org, or .gov.
For example: site:edu “John Brown.” -
Step 2: Scan your results.
Search using general and targeted terms and then scan the hits.
As you may end up with a lot, consider using advanced search options to further narrow the results.
Google allows you to filter searches by country and time.
Just click on “Search Tools” above the list of results and then choose either “Any Country” or “Any Time” to narrow.
Consider using a time range if you want more recent results.
For example, you can search for hits within the last day, month, or year, or even customize the range with specific dates.
You may want to keep a notepad handy while searching your search results.
Follow up any items or sites of interest that appear. , Social networking sites like Facebook are now big sources of information for employers, all willingly posted, and can give you a sense of someone’s real personality and character.
Searching them for a background check is also legal.
Use Google site searches to target different websites.Try looking on Facebook with the search, site:facebook.com “John Brown.” A common name like this will give you a huge field, so you may also have to log into Facebook and winnow the search by place or another personal detail.
Also try sites like LinkedIn and Twitter.
LinkedIn is a professional networking website but can help you check details on a person’s resume.
Twitter might give insight into his personality, style, and interests., Getting a criminal record, a “rap sheet,” can take more than 10 weeks if you request it through a police agency like the FBI.Business owners or employers will have to make hiring decisions a lot faster than that.
Consider doing a background search through an online service to find things like a possible criminal record, wanted lists, or other information.
Criminal record services like CriminalSearch will let you do a check by name and state, and will give you a report with a birthdate, aliases, addresses, and a list of offenses and dates.On a site like SearchSystems.net, you can also search through publically available records like court histories.
Some of these sites are free, but be aware that others charge fees to access full information. -
Step 3: Check Facebook and other social networks.
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Step 4: Check criminal background websites.
Detailed Guide
Google is a powerful tool, but other search engines like Bing or Yahoo will work, too.
Run a search on the person’s name or variations on his name to see what shows up in the results.
Go to the search engine main page.
Then, in the search box, type your target’s name.
Search for other terms related to the person, if you know more about him, like his company’s name, professional affiliations, or other things.
If you want to be more specific, type “site” before your query to narrow the search to a single website.
For example, if you want to google a “John Brown” at the Hoover Institute, type as follows: site:hooverinstitute.org “John Brown”.You can focus in the same way on types of sites, like .edu, .org, or .gov.
For example: site:edu “John Brown.”
Search using general and targeted terms and then scan the hits.
As you may end up with a lot, consider using advanced search options to further narrow the results.
Google allows you to filter searches by country and time.
Just click on “Search Tools” above the list of results and then choose either “Any Country” or “Any Time” to narrow.
Consider using a time range if you want more recent results.
For example, you can search for hits within the last day, month, or year, or even customize the range with specific dates.
You may want to keep a notepad handy while searching your search results.
Follow up any items or sites of interest that appear. , Social networking sites like Facebook are now big sources of information for employers, all willingly posted, and can give you a sense of someone’s real personality and character.
Searching them for a background check is also legal.
Use Google site searches to target different websites.Try looking on Facebook with the search, site:facebook.com “John Brown.” A common name like this will give you a huge field, so you may also have to log into Facebook and winnow the search by place or another personal detail.
Also try sites like LinkedIn and Twitter.
LinkedIn is a professional networking website but can help you check details on a person’s resume.
Twitter might give insight into his personality, style, and interests., Getting a criminal record, a “rap sheet,” can take more than 10 weeks if you request it through a police agency like the FBI.Business owners or employers will have to make hiring decisions a lot faster than that.
Consider doing a background search through an online service to find things like a possible criminal record, wanted lists, or other information.
Criminal record services like CriminalSearch will let you do a check by name and state, and will give you a report with a birthdate, aliases, addresses, and a list of offenses and dates.On a site like SearchSystems.net, you can also search through publically available records like court histories.
Some of these sites are free, but be aware that others charge fees to access full information.
About the Author
Amanda Murray
Brings years of experience writing about crafts and related subjects.
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