Background Check Services

Background check services aren't the uniform operations a lot of consumers assume they are. Basically, if a registry exists, there's a particular background search that covers it. That means consumers may purchase not only potentially damning information such as arrest records, but innocuous findings such as street addresses, social security numbers, and employment histories as well.

First, a note of caution. While such data in and of itself is not necessarily incriminating, taken together, it can allow for purchasers to assemble a composite picture of their subjects. In the era of identity theft, this is a frightening prospect indeed, which is why there are strict laws about who may purchase such data and why. These stipulations are covered in the FCRA, which includes clauses on disclosure and licensing, among other topics.

Specific Background Check Services

Background check services may specialize in verifying residence histories, credit reports, educational transcripts, and other such documents. They may also include social security traces, sex offender inquiries, and drug testing requests as well. More comprehensive background check services run all the way up to the federal level and include searches on firearms or explosives violations, interstate trafficking infractions, and worse.

Generally, customers are looking merely to verify information that's presented on a job application or resume, and so extensive sweeps aren't called for. In jobs that include the handling of "sensitive" information, however, the stakes go up. Agencies such as the FBI, CIA, State Department, and National Security Agency don't simply turn the gate key over to their new hires without rigorous checks, even though most of these bureaus already possess the files they need.