Business Spotlight

5 Best People Finder Sites That Provide Accurate Information

Nobody wants to spend hundreds of dollars testing different services just to find one that works, so we took the time to carefully analyze and review each major people finder service to determine which ones are worth the investment and which ones aren’t.

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Best People Finder Sites
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People finder sites have been around for a long time, and they have only gotten more and more accurate over the years. With just a tiny snippet of information (such as a phone number, email address, social media profile, or name) you could potentially find out everything that there is to know about an individual in a matter of minutes. People who run reports on themselves are shocked at the amount of info that these sites are able to scrape. With that being said, a decent amount of these sites are still lacking in terms of data that they can provide on a specific individual so it can become tedious to find one that is worth the money. Nobody wants to spend hundreds of dollars testing different services just to find one that works, so we took the time to carefully analyze and review each major people finder service to determine which ones are worth the investment and which ones aren’t. Let’s jump right in. 

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Quick Look At The Best Sites:  

4. Spokeo  

Truthfinder is widely considered to be the best overall people finder site, and this should come as no surprise. Having been around for nearly a decade, this service has built up the reputation of being one of most accurate and affordable sites for performing background checks, reverse phone lookups, and of course - finding people with limited information. When searching through this site with something as simple as a name, Truthfinder scans millions of records in a matter of minutes to help you find who you’re looking for. This site also scans the dark web for potentially stolen personal information to help you know if you’re at risk of identity theft. Once you are able to successfully confirm that the person you’re looking for exists in the Truthfinder database, you will gain access to all of the available information on that person. This can include things such as:  

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  • Personal info (name, DOB, age, all contact details)  

  • Location history  

  • Assets & Financial records  

  • Online profiles  

  • Education & Employment 

  • Relationships  

  • Criminal records  

  • Dating site profiles  

Intelius is a reputable Seattle-based business that has been operating since 2003, as a subsidiary of People Connect Inc. - a company that specializes in managing digital identities. 
 Through Intelius's people search website, individuals can perform comprehensive background checks on anyone and receive detailed reports that provide access to a wealth of information. The information contained in these reports may include an individual's contact details, address history, criminal records, and much more. The data collected is sourced from multiple public sources, including government organizations and businesses as is the case with Truthfinder.  

As one of the pioneers in the data broking industry, Intelius has built a reputation as a trustworthy and reliable company to use for online background checks. Compared to major competitors such as Instant Checkmate and BeenVerified, Intelius's reports are generally considered to be more accurate, while their membership costs are more affordable, making them a popular choice among consumers. Here are some of the biggest benefits of using Intelius:  

  • Very detailed reports  

  • Wide search options  

  • Sources from over 20 billion public records  

  • Reputable, with excellent ratings  

  • Huge database of public records  

Instant Checkmate works in the exact same way as the other sites mentioned on here, but the database seems to be slightly more limited which is why it is not considered to be as good as Truthfinder or Intelius. This site really shines when it comes to reverse phone lookups however which is why it still deserves to be on the list. If you are trying to find someone using only a phone number, Instant Checkmate might be your best option. Similarly to Truthfinder, you can use Instant Checkmate to find a ton of information including things like: vital information, traffic records, criminal record, employment history, alternative phone numbers, relatives & acquaintances, and much more. Instant Checkmate is also quite affordable starting at just $28 per month for person reports (min. 3 months) or just $5.99 for phone reports alone. No matter how you slice it, Instant Checkmate deserves to be on this list because of the data they are able to provide. Some benefits to using Instant Checkmate are:  

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  • Toll-free call support  

  • Detailed criminal records  

  • Quick & precise reports  

  • Can download reports in PDF  

  • Easy-to-use interface  

  • Reputable  

4. Spokeo  

Spokeo has been offering its users access to background checks, criminal histories, and even the chance to reconnect with old friends since its inception in 2006. With over 20 years of experience, it's no wonder that almost 20 million users have come to trust this platform. The distinguishing feature of Spokeo is its capacity to simultaneously search over 12 billion records, which sets it apart from its competitors. Additionally, the plans are affordable, and customers can quickly receive the outcomes of their searches.  

The platform's unrestricted access to PDFs, combined with its easy-to- navigate site, ensures that customers can obtain rapid results. However, there are a few downsides to the service. Certain government data is not accessible, and in some cases, there may be additional charges for the use of certain services. Spokeo is only available in the United States, and the platform is considered to rely excessively on social media.  

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BeenVerified is a comprehensive people search engine that allows you to perform a background check on individuals in just a few minutes. The platform offers up-to-date information about people and their backgrounds, making it a useful tool for anyone who needs to quickly gather information on another person.  

One of the benefits of using BeenVerified is that it only requires basic information to get started. You can simply enter a person's name and surname, and the platform will begin its search. However, providing additional information such as their location, age, and any other relevant details will help the platform to generate more accurate results. The detailed report that BeenVerified provides includes a wide range of information about the person you're researching. You'll be able to access their contact information, such as their phone number and email address, as well as their current and past addresses. Additionally, you can view their employment history, education, and even their social media accounts.  

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Beyond these basic details, BeenVerified can also uncover criminal records, arrest records, and court records. This feature can be particularly useful for individuals who are considering hiring someone or getting involved in a business partnership.  

How People Finder Sites Work  

People search sites have access to a vast array of data that they can use to compile a report on individuals. They may gather information from various sources, including public social media profiles, data brokers, and government public records. The public records they can access may include data on properties, driving records, voter registration, asset and financial information, criminal and civil records, and even professional licenses.  

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With just a name, social media handle, or phone number, people search sites can provide a report that reveals a lot of personal information about an individual, such as their age, gender, previous and current addresses, marital status, education, employment history, criminal and civil records, and family members' names and addresses. While some people may use these reports to find old friends or connect with neighbors, others may have more sinister intentions. Survivors of domestic violence or stalking, for instance, may not want their personal information to be accessible to anyone, for fear of being found and harmed.  

How We Ranked The Best People Finder Services  

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Considering that a significant amount of these sites claim to provide the exact same type of information as one another, one might wonder how we ranked these from best to worst. One thing to keep in mind is that even the last site on this list (which is BeenVerified) is significantly better than most background check sites and people finder services on the internet. Each site listed is viable, but they differ slightly. The most important thing to take into account when ranking background check sites is accuracy and database size. According to our tests, Truthfinder is the most accurate of the major sites that perform these types of checks. Their database is unmatched by any other company and it has shown time and time again in tests. However, certain sites are better at doing different types of checks. For example, Instant checkmate (third on the list) is arguably the best for reverse phone lookups.  

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Are These Types of Sites Legal?

A significant number of people are unaware of such sites and how much information they have on a tremendous number of individuals. It is not at all uncommon for people to ask if such sites are even legal when they come across them for the first time; it can be scary to input your own name into a tool like Truthfinder and see just how much information about your personal life is publicly available. The truth is that people finder sites are perfectly legal. In the US, there are currently no federal laws that prevent companies from publishing this kind of information on the Internet, even if the published information is inaccurate. The information you see on people search sites is typically “public information” – collected from public or semi-public records.  

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Benefits of Using People Finder Sites  

Background Checks  

In addition to finding people, people search sites offer the additional benefit of being able to conduct background checks. You can learn about someone's criminal history, work history, and more with just a few clicks. This feature can be particularly useful for employers, landlords, or anyone who needs to screen individuals.  

Speed  

One of the main benefits of using a people search site is the speed at which you can access information. You don't have to go to a public library or government office to find the information you need. Instead, you can simply use a search engine to get the information you need within minutes.  

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Searching in Bulk  

Moreover, if you're looking for multiple people, manually searching for them could be a tedious and time-consuming process. However, using a people search engine can simplify the process and provide you with accurate information in a shorter period.  

Accurate Results  

Accuracy is another significant benefit of using people search sites. The information is often more up-to-date than what you can find in print, making it more reliable. You can trust that the information you get is accurate and will help you find the person you're looking for.  

Are The Free People Search Services Legit?  

You may have noticed that the best services all require payment or a subscription of some sort in order to get a report. Unfortunately much of the most important data that could be found about an individual is hidden behind a paywall regardless of which site you end up going with. However, there are certain ways that you could find a decent amount of information on your own. Using tools like Google, LinkedIn, and TruePeopleSearch, you may be able to find some limiting information such as names, addresses, and alternative phone numbers. This is a good place to start if you are just looking for some basic information about a person. It is highly unlikely (some would say impossible) to find sensitive information about a person just through a Google search. This would include things like Court records, relatives, criminal record history, asset/financial records, or relationship history. For sensitive information, one would have to use a paid site that has access to such information.  

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Bottom Line: Using People Finder Sites Can Be Extremely Helpful  

Regardless of why you may be interested in using this type of service, one thing is for certain - such sites can be extremely helpful if used correctly. With a tiny amount of information inputted, you are able to find out a significant amount of information on the person(s) you’re looking for. This makes searching for individuals extremely easy and convenient.

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