In a Nutshell
Available Searches
Background Search
When conducting a background search at PeopleFinders, you will see that the accuracy provided here is much better than with a typical data broker type of site. In fact, finding someone is easy; just type in their name and you will see report options which include things like employment and address history, real estate and other property data, and more.
People Search
If you are looking to find someone, then PeopleFinders is the place to be. You can get started with as little as a name. Of course, the city and state help to narrow down search results. There are also a number of unique additional searching options, like a social profile search and even a genealogy search, which are excellent methods to narrow things down and confirm that you have found the right person.
Criminal Background Search
With the ability to scour through over 10 billion public records, finding out everything about someone is a breeze here. This includes all of their previous criminal activity from arrest records to whether their fingerprints have shown up in the federal prison system. Ultimately, this is incredibly helpful for discovering information you need to make a hiring or rental decision.
Case Study
As part of giving each of these people search sites a thorough test, it can be helpful to actually take a few minutes and try to find someone. In this case, we decided that the PeopleFinders CEO would be a good test. His name is Robert Miller and the company is based in Sacramento, CA. Having such a fairly common name, we figured this would be an interesting (and possibly challenging) test. While a bit of basic Google research provided access to a few press releases, all we were really able to glean beforehand was his name and the fact that he had previously worked at Intel as an investigator.
The next step in our process was to conduct a basic people search. This led to 20 different results with the name of Robert Miller in the state of California. Honestly, we were surprised that it was only 20! We were able to eliminate about half of these right away, due to being too old (65 and older). The problem was now how to determine our target from among the remaining half. Unfortunately, without additional information to go on, it was not an easy task. After running several other searches, we narrowed things down to two or three possibilities.
Key Features
PeopleFinders has some of the most interesting and unique searching options around. This includes being able to scour through social profiles and similar online information. Having this as a separate search allows it to be used for confirmation as well as a primary method of discovery. Not to mention the very unique genealogy search, which allows you to find a target and their relatives in one fell swoop. The reason why you never see anything like this with other data brokers is simply due to the fact that they do not have access to 10 billion public records, like PeopleFinders does.
All of these searches they offer have received an “A” rating in terms of their accuracy, with only some minor duplication issues. This also makes it easier for searching, since you can do other types of searches to provide extra confirmation that you have indeed located your target individual.
Fees
Methodology
There really is not much of a secret in terms of how an online people search site works. The methodology is essentially pulling searches from a variety of public records. In this case, however, PeopleFinders says that they have access to over 10 billion records, which is what really makes the difference and help this site stand out.
Reliability
Having data that is accurate and reliable is also another big part of this type of company. PeopleFinders has clearly perfected this, even trying to find their CEO who has a very common name still offered very reliable and accurate data. By reviewing the results of a search, it is obvious to see that there is a high level algorithm and filtering system used that makes all the difference.
Safety & Security
There has certainly been a lot of talk in the media recently about the safety and security of online information. Fortunately for PeopleFinders, there is no such issue as they offer a very safe and secure searching environment. Best of all, every bit of the information they use for reports comes from a public record, somewhere. People are also able to opt-out of having their information shared.
Customer Support
If you should ever have a question, the PeopleFinders site is here to help. There is even a page entitled 'search tips,' with a number of pointers and helpful information. The online help center includes a number of frequently asked questions. They also have normal business hours displayed, which are extensive (including weekend hours) along with their toll-free number. If you prefer, send them an email or a snail mail letter since both contact methods are also included.
Bottom Line
PeopleFinders seems to be another of the leaders in this industry. Having been online since 2002 they continue to offer tons of searching and report options. The prices are reasonable and everything about the site is easy to use. If you need help they have a ton of different online resources available as well.
Note: This Background Check service is not FCRA compliant. You may not use BeenVerified's service, or the information it provides, to make decisions about consumer credit, insurance, tenant screening, or any other purpose that would require FCRA compliance. This is applicable, but not limited to, a Background Search, Credit Background Check, Criminal Background Check, and/or Driving Record. BeenVerified is not a consumer reporting agency and does not, and cannot, provide consumer reports. These terms have special meanings under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681 et seq., ("FCRA"), which are incorporated herein by reference.
