A lot of people wonder what will come up if they performed a free background check on themselves. It is important to be aware of this, because it is likely that someone will run a check on you at some point. College applications, new jobs, online dates – these are all situations in which someone may want to find out who you are.
What Can You See on a Report?
Exactly what you can see on a background check depends on the check that is performed and through which agency. However, many focus strongly on a criminal background in particular. The other most popular type of search is your financial background. Some of the things you can see, therefore, include:
- Your criminal past. If your name was taken by the police at any point, this will reflect on your report. It will list the type of criminal activity that you were involved in as well, whether you were found to be guilty or not. Similarly, criminal charges will be listed, again whether or not you were convicted of them/ There will also be information about sexual crimes, felonies, and misdemeanors, or any other form of illegal activity that was investigated by the police.
- Your addresses and family members, looking at what your life has been like. It will show where you used to live, sometimes going so far as who your neighbors were and their details as well. This may be required by landlords who want to find out who a potential tenant is. Your relatives’ names and details are also likely to be included.
As you can see, a proper background check is very comprehensive. Information will be gathered from a range of different sources, which means that a lot about you will be revealed. Again, exactly what will show up depends on what is asked for. A potential employer, for instance, will have different interests than a potential employee, lover, or landlord, for instance.
Minor Background Checks
It is also possible to complete a minor, or general background check. These are most commonly requested by prospective landlords, listing information about where someone used to live and what type of property that was. Other information that may be requested as part of a general check include license information, marriage and divorces, bankruptcies, tax information, vehicle ownerships, past employment, and education.
Neighborhood Checks
There is one other type of background check, which is that of neighborhoods. This means that the information that is provided is not of a personal nature. Rather, it is about an area’s crime rates, education level, income levels, and more. A neighborhood check is important for people who are considering relocating to a different neighborhood and who want to make sure whether they are their family will not just be safe, but be able to integrate as well.
If you perform a background check, it is important that you know which one you are requesting and why, but you also have to know how to read them so that you don’t draw the wrong conclusion.