You may have your reasons for wanting to check up on someone. These reasons are personal, but may also have a use in the business world. You have probably heard that you can run a background check on those you want to hire, but in reality, any time you check up on someone, you are doing the same type of background check. In general, some are worth paying for, but you can find some information for free, especially when you just want to know because of a nagging feeling.
One of the best free resources for any type of background check that you can do are the ones you can do right through a search engine. This is common today, and many do this when they first start dating someone, or when they feel that something is just not right with a current relationship. There are a few places to online through which someone can search, and they are sites that most already use for other things.
One great online tool is the search engine. All you have to do is to put someone’s name into the search to see what comes up when you hit enter. You may find that you get a lot to go through when you search for a common type of name, but you should take the time to look through. When you use a search that has options, you should try those as well. One of the best is the news options, which takes you to news results only. The blog option should be used as well.
You can also go to the many online networking sites and search with a name. You can learn more than you think about someone by seeing what they have put on a social networking site like Facebook or Myspace. Don’t forget the new breed of networking sites that have come about for the professional. Think of sites like LinkedIn and Orkut as search tools for just about anyone.
As for searching offline, things are harder and more complicated. You can search newspaper archives, and even go to your local library. If things appear to be hidden when you are sure something is going on, you can always try a private investigator. When you decide searching offline has gotten you nowhere, return to your computer and find sites that can give you free criminal background checks as a point of reference if there is anything to be found.