Background investigations are crucial in business as well as one’s personal life in today’s society. Whether you’re hiring a new nanny, a housekeeper, an employee, or just need to know who you or someone you care about is getting involved with in a relationship a good background check can save you a world of headaches and heartaches down the road. A big issue today however is the question of “What constitutes a background check?”
The internet has brought with it a greater need for background investigations than perhaps have ever existed in history. Internet dating sites, chat rooms, social sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and others have created a whole new realm for con artists to get a glimpse into the life of a would be “mark” and gain just enough information to use it to their advantage. Unfortunately the internet has also brought along with it other sites that boast background checks on anyone for less than the cost of a lunch at many fast food chains, lulling unsuspecting buyers into a false sense of security.
These online background checks have no super secret access to government and private records. They essentially pull information from a variety of sources many of which are public record, meaning you could go to each one of them and get the same information for free. Additionally it’s important to note that there is no single repository for criminal history records. In fact many people would be shocked to find out that even the FBI doesn’t have a computer that can access criminal records for every jurisdiction. That’s right. In many places if you commit a crime, no one will find it in a background check unless the investigator follows up on a lead that lets him know he should check records in that jurisdiction. The same holds true even more so for civil cases like lawsuits, and divorce records, and marriages. Also keep in mind that many victims who are taken advantage of by a con artist or thief or are victims of domestic violence never even report it to anyone because they feel ashamed, meaning those types if incidents will not even exist in the records. Again this is where an experienced investigator will have to follow a lead to ever uncover this information.
Computers and the internet are wonderful tools, and they have both done a lot to advance the field of investigations, but it’s important to understand that just as they have advanced medical technologies as well, they can’t replace the physician. A good investigator will leverage these tools in an investigation, but more often than not, a true background investigation requires actual discreet interviews, and following up leads.
If you feel that you may want to explore the opportunity to have a background investigation conducted, contact us at 972-617-9210 to speak with an investigator. There is no charge for the consultation and all calls are kept confidential.
