A few decades ago, private investigation still meant pounding the pavement and collecting information the old fashioned way — slowly and tediously. In the last decade, however, more and more public records agencies have been making their archives searchable online. The result is that almost anyone can now pay to run detailed background, credit, and criminal checks on their friends and neighbors for less than the price of a tank of gas.

A basic background check can verify a person’s name, contact information, date of birth, and Social Security Number. It can check for criminal convictions and can also check their driving history for DUIs. It can provide you with a person’s credit report, verify their educational history, and even provide details about any professional licenses or certifications that they claim to possess.

Much of this information is actually available for free on the Internet. The problem is that it’s scattered across thousands of public (and sometimes private) databases and archives. There’s no central clearing house for government records, so each state, county, and city has it’s own record keeping practices, its own rules about what information is made public, and its own databases that may or may not be available online.

Besides the basic information, some professional background checking agencies also offer premium information culled from their private databases, which are often populated with information purloined through corporate espionage and complex algorithms that draw on lots of different sources to extrapolate and piece together sensitive data. Which means you can probably get your favorite TV actor’s private, unlisted cell phone number in less than 5 minutes if you’re willing to cough up the search fee.

Besides employers, individuals are now starting to use background checks. We used to bring our dates home to meet Mom when things got serious, but today we just ask them for their social security number and then run a background check on them.

Many employees feel intimidated by background checks and it can often make employers seem a bit Draconian. In reality, though, employers are almost forced to do checks. For example, if someone goes nuts and assaults their coworkers in the office, it probably won’t be long before someone is suing the employer for not knowing that the person was crazy. Running background checks is often just one more instance of showing due diligence in order to protect themselves from predatory lawsuits.

For individuals, there can be lots of good reasons to check someone out. Just as employers screen new employees, it’s a good idea for you to run background checks on the companies that you plan to work for. It can also be wise to check out new romantic partners and potential business associates. Here’s a list of the 10 best online background checkers:


TOP 10 BACKGROUND CHECKING SERVICES

#1 US Search – $40
#2 Records Registry – $35
#3 eFindOut TheTruth.com – $15
#4 Abika – $70
#5 Intelius – $50
#6 KnowX – $30
#7 Private Eye – $40
#8 Backgroundchecks.com – $30
#9 Peoplefinders – $28
#10 Back-grounds Online – $40

Besides the pay services, there are also a number of free, simple tools that you can use to track down specific kinds of information. It’s no substitute for a background check, but these services can help to quickly solve little mysteries or to fill in a single piece of missing information.

FREE RESEARCH TOOLS

Reverse Telephone Directory
If you’ve got the number, but don’t know who it belongs to — try here.

Who Called Us
A community-generated database that lets you identify harassing anonymous calls. If the same 1-800 number keeps calling you night after night, Who Called Us can tell you who they are — whether the culprits are telemarketers, collection agencies, or scammers.

Vital Rec
A complete list of vital records databases in every state.

WhoIs
A database that can tell you who a particular internet domain is registered to.

FBI Directory of State Sexual Predator Lists
A list of every state’s online sex offender database

Public Records
Links to state archives of marriage/divorce records, birth/death certificates, business records, and more.

IP Location Finder
Find out the county, state and city where an Internet IP address is physically located.

List of Free National Databases
A large list of National databases, sorted by both state and topic.

Surname Distribution Survey
Find out how many people share your surname and what areas they live in.

Free Online Course in Private Investigation
An excellent collection of tips and techniques from a veteran private investigator.

Social Security Admin Death Registry
Where are they now? If they come up on this list, they’re six feet under!

SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS
If the information you need is right under your nose (rather than in some government database) you might want to consider using some monitoring software. These programs run in the background and can log every keystroke, password, image, email, or IM chat that crosses the screen. If you’re at your wit’s end trying to understand a cheating spouse or you’re worried that an employee is embezzling funds, these programs can be a lifesaver and can help you to sort out confusing situations. However, it’s important to use them with caution. It can be tempting to spy on your mate or an employee, but suddenly gaining access to the private thoughts and conversations of someone can be like opening a Pandora’s Box — especially since the information is often open to interpretation. It can be easy to misunderstand things, so the decision to monitor someone without their explicit knowledge is one that requires careful consideration. If you’re naturally curious and you can’t resist the urge to uncover things, you might want to consider channeling those mischievous urges into a more socially acceptable behavior. Why not study to become a licensed private investigator like Magnum P.I. or Jessica Fletcher? Find out more at Be A Private Eye (beaprivate eye.com).

TOP 5 COMPUTER MONITORING PROGRAMS

Spector Pro – $100

Spy Agent – $80

I Am Big Brother – $30

Eblaster – $100

Golden Eye – $30

Eblaster is the only package that allows remote installation — and the only one to support Mac OS X. However, Spector Pro is the only program that lets you see inside email attachments. Some programs come with 24/7 online chat support, others allow you to monitor P2P file-sharing activities, etc. Which one you pick really depends on your individual needs. Before using this kind of software, however, it’s important to consider the ramifications. If you have a dangerous situation where an employee may be embezzling funds or undermining the company, monitoring software can be a lifesaver. If you don’t really need to do this kind of surveillance however, it’s best not to use it.

CHECKING YOURSELF OUT
Even if you aren’t interested in running a background check on anyone else, it might still be a good idea to run one on yourself. Most of your public records are available for anyone to see, so it’s in your best interest to make sure they are accurate. If your boss is going to run a report on you, wouldn’t you like to know what’s in it first? It’s not uncommon for records to have errors, but if you know about them, you can have them corrected. Running a check on yourself once every year or two also allows you to spot any suspicious activity that might be the result of identity theft.