If you’re looking to get simple information on someone – like a simple background check – , and want to do it fast and free, there are a variety of resources online that will help you accomplish this. You can also check to see what’s out there on yourself so you can quickly move to correct information that might not be right.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, these reports and information are completely free as of this writing. In addition, these resources are meant for informational purposes only. An official background check requires resources that are beyond the scope of this article.
Employment
- The Work Number: Can request one report annually; this report will contain income and employment information as well as lenders, credit agencies, or other reporting agencies that have received your data.
- Request for Social Security Statement: Get a free record of your Social Security earnings history year by year, and get an estimate of how much you might qualify in the way of benefits in the future.
Banking
- ChexSystems: If you have been denied a checking or savings account from a bank or credit union, you can request a free copy of your ChexSystems consumer report to see what might be dinging you.
- TeleCheck: You have the right to order a free TeleCheck report that details your consumer information for free every 12 months.
Consumer Reporting
- LexisNexis: Request a free report (must include quite a bit of identifying information) that includes both public and non-public records and information.
Financial
- Annual Credit Report: Request a free credit report from the three major credit bureaus annually.
- Innovis: You can obtain one Innovis Credit Report at no cost if you meet certain criteria.
- Securities and Exchange Commission: Search through SEC filings, administrative judgments, and consumer complaints.
Online History
- Domain Tools: Find out who owns a domain name, along with their email address, physical address, and phone number.
- WayBack Machine: See what other forms a website might have taken with this interesting tool; just enter a URL and you’ll get a detailed history of archived pages.
- IP Address Report: If all you have to go on is an IP address, you can use this site to find out who owns it, what its hostname is, what country it originates in, even what browser the IP address is presenting itself on the Web in.
Health and Medical Insurance
- MIB Reports: If you have applied for “individually underwritten life, health, or disability income insurance during the preceding seven year period”, then MIB (Medical Information Bureau) will have a report on this information that you can request for free.
Returns
- The Retail Equation: If you weren’t able to get your money back the last time you returned something, you can request a free return history report from the Retail Equation, an organization that tracks merchandise return information.
Car and Home Insurance
- VinCheck: Enter in a VIN (vehicle identification number) to see if a car has a history of being stolen or reported as stolen.
- ISO Loss History Report: Order one free loss history report annually.