There are seemingly hundreds of websites offering background checks, but not all of them are worth your time or money. Some don’t provide comprehensive information, while others have outdated or inaccurate information. Some also don’t meet the necessary legalities to let you use the data they provide.
We took a closer look at TruthFinder to see whether it is one of the reputable background check websites or if it is one that you should skip.
Given that TruthFinder is among the most popular background check services, it came as no surprise that we liked what we saw.
Overview and Background on TruthFinder
TruthFinder dates back to 2014 and was founded in San Diego, California. Over the years, it has performed tens of thousands of background checks.
During background checks, TruthFinder scans hundreds of millions of records, including social network data and public records. All of this happens in a matter of minutes. The important part here is that some of the data TruthFinder looks at is confidential or private. In other words, it gives customers access to more than just public records.
TruthFinder then displays the relevant information that it finds in a series of reports. It helps customers find hard to find social media profiles, arrest records, or unknown contact information, among other info.
The big difference between TruthFinder and some of the other similar services is the fact that it looks at private records in addition to public ones. Few services offer this, as it makes their services more complicated and potentially more expensive. That means that the information you can get from most competitors is something you could likely find if you had enough time to search yourself.
Running a background check with TruthFinder may give you additional details and a more in-depth look about someone than if you simply searched their name online. You may get access to extra information about past locations, police reports, or photos.
Pros and Cons of TruthFinder
No service is perfect, and TruthFinder is no exception. There are some limitations and caveats to be aware of before you use TruthFinder, but there are also many features and characteristics that make it worth using.
Pros of TruthFinder
- Android app available
- Monthly membership plan provides unlimited reports
- Filters and advanced search options let you refine results
- You can use it to self-monitor
- Up-to-date information in the reports
- Includes a dark web scan to see if your personal data has been compromised
- Transparent information about the Fair Credit Reporting Act so you know how to legally use the reports
Cons of TruthFinder
- You must get a monthly subscription; you can’t buy a single report
- You must pay extra to download the reports as PDFs
- It only has information on people in the United States
- There are pop-up ads (but those keep prices down)
Key Features of TruthFinder
While TruthFinder offers background checks, it provides so much more than this. The website has the following directories:
- Background checks
- Criminal records search
- Dark web scan
- Family tree
- People search
- Phone book
- Public records
- Reverse phone lookup
We’ll explore some of these features in more detail.
Background Checks – What You’ll Find
Background checks are among the most popular services from TruthFinder. They are the primary service that the company is known for.
As mentioned earlier, TruthFinder scans private records in addition to public records, meaning that you can get more detailed information from them than you would from competitors.
But what type of information can you expect to find? This will help you gauge whether TruthFinder’s services fit your needs.
Remember that TruthFinder may not always find information in all of the following categories for everyone. The results in your report will depend on what information is available. With that in mind, you may see the following information.
You may get personal information such as:
- First and last name
- Age
- Date of birth
- Contact information
Expect to see some location history, including:
- Past and current addresses
- Whether those addresses were residential or commercial
- Census data
- Local demographic data
- Possible neighbors
This report may include information on assets such as:
- Mortgages
- Property tax
- Sale amount
- Rental properties
- Liens
- Bankruptcies
You will likely get a list of online profiles such as:
- Blogs
- Personal websites
- Social media profiles
- News stories
You can see information on education and employment like:
- Educational background
- Any degrees in higher education
- A full employment history
You may see a range of types of relationships, including:
- Marriage records
- Divorce records
- Possible neighbors
- Business partners
- Relatives
- Acquaintances and friends
- Anyone who shares or shared an address (business or residential)
In terms of criminal records, you will see the following information:
- Location of both the crime and the arrest
- The charge category
- A description of the offense
- The date of the offense
- The court name and case number
In the case of sexual offenders, you will see the following:
- Their sex offender status
- Any registered sex offenders who live close to the person’s address
Dark Web Scan
This particular scan from TruthFinder checks to see if your personal information is for sale on the dark web. It is designed to help you find out if you are a victim of identity theft or if your information is compromised.
While online identity theft hasn’t always been a serious risk, it has become an increasing concern in recent years, especially as we digitize more aspects of our life.
You also get to customize TruthFinder’s dark web scan. This is done by choosing what pieces of your personal information it will look for and monitor for you. The full list of options includes:
- Contact information
- Bank account numbers
- Debit and credit cards
- Driver’s license
- Phone number
- Passport number
- Social security number
- Medical identification numbers
- Membership or retail cards
To complete this service, TruthFinder looks at a range of websites and servers on the dark web. These include social media feeds, chat rooms, web services, peer-to-peer file-sharing networks, file transmissions, bulletin boards, and forums.
Reverse Phone Lookup
This service lets you enter a phone number in the search field and find out the potential owner of the phone number. It is a particularly popular feature for those times that you get a call from a number you don’t recognize.
TruthFinder offers this particular service by scanning public records for the number. Conveniently, you don’t have to input any information other than the phone number.
The results will include the name of the phone number’s owner as well as any known aliases. You can use these aliases to figure out their nickname, married name, or former name. You may also see a photo of the person.
This search will also give you a list of other people who may be linked to the phone number, such as people who previously had the number.
How to Use TruthFinder to Run a Background Check
This website purposely makes it simple to run background checks and get detailed reports. This is one of their big selling points.
To do so, follow these steps:
- From the home page, enter the person’s first and last name (or a former name, such as their maiden name).
- Enter the person’s city and state (or a former address—if you don’t know the answer, you can skip this step, but it will be harder to narrow down your search results).
- As you wait for results, the system may ask you additional questions about the person. Examples include if they have lived in the same location their whole life or if they are an only child. This helps narrow down the results.
- Look at the list of potential candidates. Find the listing that corresponds to the person you want to search for.
- Request the background check.
If you don’t already have a TruthFinder account, you will be asked to create one and pay for your subscription before getting the background check.
TruthFinder Costs
As mentioned in the pros and cons earlier, TruthFinder only offers a subscription payment model. There is no option to pay for reports individually.
The basic membership includes most features and costs $28.05 at a one month recurring rate. However, there is a two-month discount of $23.28 per month if you pay those months in advance. After two months, the price goes back up.
Keep in mind that there is a separate membership for reverse phone lookups. This membership costs $4.99 per month.
You can purchase either membership separately or get both together.
You should also be aware that if you want to download a background check report, you will have to pay $2.99. This applies to each report you choose to download. That being said, you can view the reports without downloading them as part of your membership.
Customer Support From TruthFinder
TruthFinder has good customer support, although its hours of support could be more extensive. You can only chat with a live representative on weekdays from 7 AM to 7 PM Pacific time. While this is less than ideal, that is still a full 12 hours of support every weekday, which is more than some similar services offer.
While there is no weekend or late-night support, TruthFinder also has an FAQ section with truly helpful information and answers. There is a very good chance that you will find answers to your questions there and not even need to contact support.
Reviews of TruthFinder
Our research found that a significant amount of TruthFinder reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Most reviews confirm that the information TruthFinder provides is accurate and up-to-date.
Safety and Security With TruthFinder
With a website like TruthFinder that has access to so much personal information, safety and security are of the utmost concern. The good news is that TruthFinder does well in this respect. They encrypt all of the data they transmit. This helps ensure that your information as their customer is safe.
Additionally, because of the amount of information that they have access to, TruthFinder constantly monitors the website for potential criminal activity, like hackers. This not only protects the security of client data, but it also helps ensure that cybercriminals can’t change information. In other words, TruthFinder takes measures to keep your data secure and the data it provides secure and accurate.
Is TruthFinder Safe?
Yes. As mentioned, TruthFinder has multiple safety measures in place to protect your information as well as the information you search for. The person you run a background check on will not even know that you did so.
Is TruthFinder Legit?
Yes. In addition to multiple online reviews, we can confirm that TruthFinder is a legit background check service. The results are accurate and up-to-date.
Additionally, TruthFinder is transparent about how you can use the information it provides.
Is TruthFinder Legal?
TruthFinder is legal, depending on how you plan to use the information. As mentioned, the company clearly outlines how you can legally use the information you get from it.
As long as you use TruthFinder to satisfy personal curiosity or ensure you, your kids, or your family are safe, it is legal. So, you can use it to find a long-lost relative, check up on your neighbor, or vet a blind date.
Only for Personal Reasons
The important caveat here is that you cannot use the information on TruthFinder for any business decisions. You cannot use it to make decisions related to consumer credit, tenant screening, or employment.
All of these business-related decisions are covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. According to that act, you can only get information for those decisions from a Consumer Reporting Agency. TruthFinder is not one of those.
Other Questions You May Have About Background Checks
Whether you plan on using TruthFinder or another background check service, you may have a few questions about what these background checks involve.
What Are Background Checks?
To start, background checks are a process of verifying that someone is who they say they are. It lets you confirm their identity by looking at records for education, employment, social media, phone numbers, addresses, any criminal records, and more.
Why Do People Run Background Checks?
There are several reasons someone may decide to run a background check.
One classic example is a company running a background check on an employee before they hire them. However, it is important to note that there are regulations in place as to the types of services that companies can use for this type of background check. The service they use must be accredited as a Consumer Reporting Agency. TruthFinder does not have this accreditation.
More common examples of why someone would use a service like TruthFinder for background checks is to feel safe and secure. For example, they may check a new neighbor or a significant other before taking the next step in their relationship, or someone who doesn’t trust their friend or family member’s significant other may check that person’s background.
How Can I Run a Background Check?
At the most basic level, running a background check is as simple as choosing a service, paying for it, and providing the basic information of the person you want to run the check on.
Background checks are designed to search through the various public records and other available information so you don’t have to spend days doing the same thing. Some services, like TruthFinder, also look at sources you would not have access to, such as private sources.
The Bottom Line
TruthFinder is among the most popular background check websites. You can also use it for reverse phone lookups or to check if your information is being sold on the dark web. The website is trustworthy and safe to use. The only thing to keep in mind is that you need to pay for a monthly membership, which gives you unlimited searches. If you only want a single search, a different service that offers pricing by report may make more sense.
