Truthfinder is a background check service that can look up things like criminal records, social media accounts, and contact information, including email addresses and phone numbers.
The amount of valuable information Truthfinder provides is quite impressive. You can then use that information to make a decision regarding the person searched.
It’s also important to note that many background check services rely heavily on public records and getting access to them. Sometimes these records can prove to be inaccurate or even outdated, which then can result in a misleading background report.
Luckily, Truthfinder is constantly updating its information and methods for finding important data. You can rest assured knowing a Truthfinder background check does the hard work behind the scenes to give verified, definitive results.
Here's our full review on Truthfinder, and why it's one of our top choices when it comes to the multiple background check services available.
How Does this Background Check Service Work?
Basically, you can search for specific people and gain valuable information on them.
Truthfinder will search for various data points stemming from public sources, including:
- Federal, state and local records
- Local criminal records and criminal history information
- Social media profiles, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
- Consumer reporting agencies
- Financial information
- And more
While many people choose to search for this information manually via the Google search bar, doing so would require hours upon hours of scrolling through endless government and county websites.
Is the Truthfinder Background Check Service Accurate?
Truthfinder seeks to give the information you're looking for and they strive for that information to be as accurate as possible. But is it?
Many background check services rely on public records and other online data sources for their background checks. This is where the flood of inaccuracies come into play.
Many of those records are not consistently updated, which can then lead to a background check that provides faulty information.
However, Truthfinder is a background check service that does things a little differently. Their reports are proven to be more accurate and the information used is constantly being updated and amended.
Their investigations go beyond basic public record data. They check social media profiles, criminal records and history, and look for an email address and phone number associated with the person. All of this is provide the user with sophisticated data and a thorough report.
Truthfinder Pros and Cons
Pros
- Customer Service
They also have a web page dedicated to answering common customer questions and concerns. If you cannot find what you are looking for there, you can always call them. Their phone number can be found at the bottom of the homepage.
- Transparency
The Fair Credit Reporting Act recently deemed it illegal to use the information found in a background check when hiring. Even if the results show a criminal history or other criminal records, this cannot be used against the potential employee.
Truthfinder is fully transparent on this matter and holds the Fair Credit Reporting Act to a very high standard. They are concise on what a background check can and can’t be used for, making no room for confusion.
It’s a good reminder that a background check service can be extremely helpful, they also have some blocks that should be followed.
- User Experience
The most popular feature, background checks and people search, is front and center on the homepage. You won't be endless scrolling through the website looking for the search bar. This makes searching quick and easy. Additionally, they have an easy-to-use app that is designed to work with any mobile device.
Finally, the investigation results and background reports are very easy to read and digest. When applicable, the report will provide you with a plethora of information regarding the searched person, including contact information, social media profiles, criminal records, financial history, and more.
Plus, if you wanted to do a reverse phone lookup, that process is quite easy as well. All you need is the phone number, and Truthfinder will search the internet for a match.
Cons
- No Free Trial
Some of the other background check services do offer trial periods. This may deter certain customers that prefer to test the service first or only need to do a one-off search.
- Pricey
You cannot use any of the background services or reverse phone lookup capabilities for free. Everything requires a monthly membership.
What Are the Key Features?
Truthfinder offers many valuable features to its customers, proving to be a quality background check service. Here are some of the best ones.
People Search
You can search Truthfinder for specific people. To put it simply - you enter the person's name in the search bar and Truthfinder will take it from there.
This feature will then pull a variety of public records from online sources to provide a detailed report containing extensive information. This can then be used to make an informed decision on the person searched.
What's included in the report will depend mostly on the available public records on the internet. Here's some of the information it could contain:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Contact information (phone numbers and email address)
- Job information and history
- Address history and other location information
- Criminal records
- Financial information, including assets and other investments
- Family members and possible relatives
- Old friends
- Sex offender status
- Social media profiles
- Other available personal information
- Photographs and videos
- Liens and/or bankruptcies
- Birth certificate
- Death records
- Marriage records
- Divorce records
Dark Web Check
Truthfinder will go a step beyond the easily accessible public records search and scan the dark web for other key indicators.
This feature allows Truthfinder to search through dark web records and look for signs of a possible data breach. Performing a search like this manually would be extremely difficult and time-consuming.
You can even use this feature for yourself, checking whether your personal information or credit information is being used without your permission.
Truthfinder’s ability to do a dark web scan is made possible with their partnership with Experian (a platform that aids decisions about consumer credit).
Criminal Record Search
This feature will search public records for possible arrest records and other incriminating information. Truthfinder uses data drawn from the FBI, as well as federal, state, and local offices.
While a standard Truthfinder people search will provide findings of criminal behavior, the specific criminal record search feature can give a more in-depth look. Here's what it may include:
- Previous arrest records
- Misdemeanors
- Felonies
- Traffic violations
- Court appearances
This feature is very effective in providing a quality criminal history check to help you make an educated and informed decision regarding someone's character.
As mentioned earlier, this information cannot be used against someone in the hiring process, according to the Fair Credit reporting Act. Truthfinder is very clear about this regulation.
Other Features
- Reverse phone lookup
- Reverse address lookup
- Sex offender status
- Self-monitoring capabilities
Truthfinder is not free. In fact, none of the features mentioned above can be used for free. There is no free trial or complimentary people search available.
The service requires a paid membership subscription to gain access to their quality online background checks. The subscription works on a per month basis.
But, if you're interested in buying the monthly membership, you will have the opportunity to experience everything the platform has to offer.
Essentially, there are two standard payment options on Truthfinder. You can purchase the service on a month-by-month basis for $28/month or you can buy in bulk and save. This works out to a 3-month membership for $78, or $26/month. That would save you around $2/month. If you plan to use the service for multiple months, buying in bulk may be worth it.
It's also important to note that once enrolled, the subscription will auto-charge you once a month or every three months. To cancel the service, you will have to manually unsubscribe by logging into your account on the website.
Unsubscribing from Truthfinder can get pretty confusing. It's slightly unclear how to do so and it can take a while to figure out. This has resulted in some negative customer reviews. Although, most of the Truthfinder reviews are positive, this is definitely a drawback.
Conclusion
Truther is a trusted company among its customers. It's a reliable source to perform background checks. They use public records and other data from only reputable sources.
The Truthfinder online user interface makes this platform easy to use and the reports are generated in around 10 minutes or less.
For those who are looking to learn more about someone, whether a coworker, estranged family member, landlord, etc., this can be a valuable resource that can help give better insight on that person.
Though, a month membership fee can be off-putting for people who are looking to do a single background check. This is reflected in some Truthfinder reviews. But if you need background checks on multiple people, the steady monthly fee for unlimited searches can be seen as a positive.
