When doing a reverse phone lookup using a background checker or people searching service such as White Pages or others meant to help people in their attempts to find individuals living within the United States.
The data generated from these services consist of anything the system is able to find on that particular number.
It can range from basic information to include a person’s address or phone number to more intricate details like criminal records or traffic citations.
There is no differentiation between personal information and doing a background check on someone with sites like these so that the data can be diverse.
According to “FCRA law,” none of the information from reports is allowed to be used in an official capacity, for instance, job screening or with landlord searches.
The information on many websites, due to its nature, has the exceptional likelihood of having missing or inaccurate details, outdated information, or could be associated with the incorrect person.
While some websites deem legitimate, data can be construed as “hit-or-miss,” with those who subscribe taking that risk entirely upon themselves when paying for services.
The suggestion, however, is that TruthFinder offers explicitly a better search than most other platforms as far as basic data.
With testing the criteria, much was current for names, addresses, phone, and ages, not to mention comprehensive information included relatives and associates, which was “mostly correct.”
In advanced searching with the background check, the site picks up information including work history, wealth, assets, criminal records, traffic citations, gun permits, and social media sites.
Tips on searching online using a phone number
Many people choose to perform online searches using a phone number for varied reasons. Some receive consistent calls from scammers and want to find out who is calling their number so they can put a stop to it.
Other people might be attempting to find relatives they’ve lost contact with or perhaps friends from school they have heard from in years. Generally, any information that you need you can find online.
Before you can use one of the people searching websites found online, there’s information you need to have on the person you’re looking for. In most situations, the people searching/background checking services will use a reverse lookup to locate data on individuals.
It’s vital to recognize that depending on the site you work with, you could get misinformation, resulting in reaching out to the wrong individual. Some tips to guide you through the process:
Free resources
Some resources online are free. Some boast of being free, but in order to get premium reports, you need to pay for a subscription. The suggestion is to see what you’re able to find out in a complementary capacity and then move on to the more detailed results if you’re unsatisfied with what you’ve found out.
Unfortunately, when using the accessible methods, you would need to have many more details than merely a phone number to be able to proceed through the process. Most people wouldn’t be searching if they had access to some facts.
If all you have is the phone number, it would likely be wise to simply move forward to the premium report.
Personal identity
A vital part of being online in any capacity is understanding your own vulnerability. When you search for someone on any lookup sites, that vulnerability increases.
The person will see that someone is attempting to find them, especially when you use varied websites with your efforts. In the same way that you could gather even a tiny bit of information to do your search, the other person can do the same thing.
Some platforms offer anonymity or encryption while engaging with their sites to give you privacy and confidentiality. That allows the freedom to browse through the details without fear of anyone collecting your information.
Before getting on any of the websites, it’s wise to research the different options to see what they offer regarding privacy features. That way, you’ll know the degree you might be exposing yourself with each platform.
Collect details
In order to do the most effective search, try to gather as much information from each free search that you complete. If you find an address or phone number, take down that information, or perhaps a middle name and date of birth with a middle initial or name.
That will help progress the search with each attempt since free lookups are limitless. If you are fortunate to get an address, you can also get a free address lookup in the same way as you do the phone search.
These are the methods that will give you the most accurate details on the individual you’re trying to find. The system can only provide details related to what’s input into the site. If any information is even slightly off, the data will be inaccurate. Someone would need to give a computer with misinformation in order for it to provide the wrong detail. It’s incapable of doing so on its own accord.
Time-intensive and exhaustive
The research involved with locating someone isn’t simplistic because you have a search site to help you. There is still much research that goes into the process.
Some sites will provide you with data from a variety of social platforms. While it might be only bits of information. It will be up to you to then go to those sites to continue researching from that point.
Of course, some of the information on these platforms is noted to be outdated in that you could receive an address from a few years ago. So it would be necessary to try to trace that to the current place of residency.
That can be tricky, but sometimes even Google can help with information when you have an old address leading you at least to perhaps a general location.
Privy to private information
You might be given details on someone that you didn’t anticipate. You take a risk when using someone’s phone number to search for them. Anything can come to light, including their history of traffic citations or an entire criminal record.
The guidelines stipulate that people are not allowed to use these details in an official capacity, like renting houses or job applicants, since these websites are not of the exact nature as those designated for authoritative background checks.
These sites are people searched with some background capability primarily set up for individuals. So, these people look for scammers who might be continually calling their phone, or they search for people they have lost contact with. None of them claim to be an authority in the background industry.
Mistakes will happen
The platforms are not always accurate. When a site like WhitePages, was tested for accuracy, their advanced search with background checking was found to be inaccurate for much of the information.
Now, some of that can have to do with user error or what is being input into the system. A computer is only able to output based on what people tell it. It can’t genuinely make a mistake by itself.
You might accidentally contact the wrong person who has absolutely no idea what you’re reaching out to them concerning. Before you do that, it’s vital again to do more research of your own to back up what you find out, especially if it’s related to someone who might have been scamming your phone.
You don’t want to call someone innocent. Take the report you’re given on the person and research online the company they work for and the business objective.
Perhaps it’s a telecommunications operation, and then you’ll know that it is someone responsible for contacting people’s phones. But you have to do that legwork.
Why reassess after searching online through a phone number
It can’t be stressed enough that results from online people searching platforms have the potential for being inaccurate. In that same vein, your identity also has the possibility of being exposed.
Even if you don’t pursue finding the person from the report, that individual could very well attempt to locate the person who has been trying to find them.
If this is someone who’s been scamming your phone, it won’t be a great challenge, especially if the individual is a hacker or cybercriminal. The idea is to take the report that you receive and follow through with thorough research to learn the person’s identity.
That way, you know who you searched if there are any repercussions. Safety is always a priority when you’re working in the online environment.
Conclusion
The internet is a fantastic tool that allows people to find those we might have lost touch with many years ago or perhaps find someone who is incessantly bothering us, maybe a scammer. It can also be somewhat risky, especially concerning sensitive information and your identity.
It’s essential to take precautions to ensure you’re always protected. That might mean a little more effort and extra time with what you start, but it’s worth it in the end.
