Is TruthFinder a legit tool to use?

What is TruthFinder?

TruthFinder is a background-checking service that allows customers to access public records about individuals. Requests do not have to be linked to legal proceedings or job applications. Family members, old classmates, a person looking for their online date’s information — regardless of the reason, anyone can use TruthFinder’s background check services.

TruthFinder offers various tools for searching public records, including:

• Reverse phone number lookup.
• People search.
• Background check.
• Reverse address lookup.
• Public records search.
• Reverse email lookup.
• Dark web scan.

TruthFinder sources data exclusively from within the United States and is not applicable in other territories. You should also be aware that any information that TruthFinder gives you in its background reports cannot be used to screen job applicants or future tenants since this violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

How does TruthFinder work?

TruthFinder offers a straightforward process for running a background check. All you need to do is enter the person’s first name, last name, and last known place of residence. For a more thorough search, you may also enter other details like their middle initials, last known city of residence, or phone number.

TruthFinder will then retrieve information from publicly available records that match your query. After agreeing to a disclaimer stating that you can’t use the data to assess an individual’s employment, housing, insurance, and credit eligibility, you get a copy of the report.

TruthFinder’s services are not free and require a subscription to access reports. The standard monthly cost typically ranges from $27 to $30, although occasional promotions, such as a limited report for $4.99 or a trial period, may be available. Keep in mind that memberships renew automatically, so you’ll be charged monthly even if you’re not actively obtaining reports from TruthFinder.

What data does TruthFinder show?

A typical TruthFinder report may include:

• Phone numbers (current and past) used by the person.
• Any criminal record or arrest record publicly available on federal databases.
• Social media profiles.
• Birth records.
• Employment history.
• Location history, such as an individual’s current address or past address.

Note that any information contained in a TruthFinder report sourced from any public record only reflects the record when the data was compiled. This means that your report may have incomplete or inaccurate data since some public records may be out of date.

Is TruthFinder legit or a scam?

TruthFinder is a legitimate business. Its approach is no different from any other search engine software that trawls through online databases or public records. The information it compiles can generally be verified through public sources after receiving your report.

While TruthFinder is a registered business and its services are legal, its reputation is mixed. Many customers have provided constructive feedback, noting issues such as incomplete or inaccurate data in reports, with some finding the information less reliable than what might be obtained through a private investigator. Criticism has also been directed at the customer care team, especially by users frustrated with inaccuracies in their initial reports. However, some customers have reported satisfactory experiences, indicating that TruthFinder may meet certain expectations depending on individual needs.

Also, TruthFinder has been penalized by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Under FCRA regulations, companies that compile personal information and sell background reports should take care to not include inaccurate data in their reports — an issue that has repeatedly been raised with TruthFinder.

A particularly strong case against TruthFinder was its tendency to exaggerate the findings in its reports, like flagging a traffic ticket as a criminal charge. The FTC also claims that the data sources used by TruthFinder are third-party data sources that make no guarantees about the accuracy of their data. This issue conflicts with TruthFinder’s messaging about having accurate reports.

Overall, while the company and its services are legitimate, certain aspects of it may come across as a scam or misleading, raising concerns about the trustworthiness of TruthFinder’s services. It’s not a fake or scam website. However, many customers tend to have a negative impression after using its services.

Is using TruthFinder worth it?

If you’re going to use TruthFinder, you should set expectations about the kind of information that you’ll receive. Because of the wording of the content on their website (particularly the disclaimers they use), it’s easy to mistake TruthFinder as a completely reliable source of a person’s background or history.

However, as discussed, TruthFinder has issues with the accuracy of its data. This implies that any information you obtain from your report should be treated cautiously. Ideally, the best way to use your TruthFinder report is as a starting point for data that you can verify through official channels.

What are the potential issues of using TruthFinder?

There’s nothing inherently wrong with using TruthFinder or any similar service online since the data it collects are all from public sources. The trouble with using TruthFinder starts once you try to use the information you get for tenant screening, employee applications, or other use cases that may violate the FCRA.

Any information you get from TruthFinder should not be used for legal or financial purposes. TruthFinder is a suitable option if you’re trying to reconnect with old friends. But suppose you’re searching for a person’s arrest records or employment history. In that case, it’s best to go straight to the primary sources instead of relying on third-party data sources like TruthFinder.

How does TruthFinder affect your digital footprint?

Since TruthFinder scrapes data from publicly available sources, you can use it to check for your digital footprint online. If you’re curious to learn what the internet knows about you, you can check this information through services like TruthFinder.

Monitoring your digital footprint is important because public information can be exploited by cybercriminals. They can conduct data theft and impersonation or even pass your personal information to other criminal networks.

How do you remove your information from TruthFinder?

People-search or people-finder websites like TruthFinder offer an opt-out option if you find your information in their reports. All you need to do is to find their opt-out page and request a takedown of your data.

Other third-party websites can automate these takedown requests for you, especially if you find that your information is on many websites like TruthFinder. These services can be standalone or offered as part of a larger digital privacy bundle or service. Removing your information from people-finder sites is the first step in enhancing your digital privacy.

Are background checker websites legitimate?

TruthFinder aside, are background checker websites in general legitimate? The short answer is yes, they are. However, a key difference exists between how these services market themselves and what they genuinely do.

Most (if not all) background checker websites don’t offer comprehensive data in their reports. Since these services draw from publicly available sources, the information may be outdated or inaccurate.

No matter how much a background checker website markets itself as giving accurate or up-to-date information, you should always treat any data you’ll get from them as a starting point rather than definitive source.

So, should you use TruthFinder?

While TruthFinder is a legitimate company, potential customers should view its services primarily as “people searches” rather than “background checks.” Regardless of the company’s marketing, the information you will get from your report will be no different from looking for information about the person on your own. At its core, TruthFinder offers the convenience of having someone else look up information for you.

FAQ

Is TruthFinder legal to use?

Yes, TruthFinder is legal because it sources data from public records. All data in TruthFinder reports comes from sources you can access yourself. TruthFinder simply has a faster way of finding these sources and compiling all the information into a report that you can easily get from their website.

Will someone know if you use TruthFinder?

TruthFinder does not notify individuals when a background check is conducted on them. All data sources for reports are pulled from public records and other public sources like social media profiles. Consequently, there’s no obligation for TruthFinder or you to disclose that a background check is being performed.

What are the pros and cons of TruthFinder?

The primary reason to use a background check service like TruthFinder is if and when you lack the time or expertise to conduct checks yourself. TruthFinder already understands how and where to pull public records from, saving you the time and effort you would’ve spent conducting the check yourself.

However, this advantage is also the biggest drawback of using TruthFinder. Because TruthFinder retrieves data from public records at the time of your request, the reports may contain outdated or inaccurate information. This means that while you save time and effort, the reliability of the information may not always be guaranteed.

If you don’t mind doing a background check that costs money and are concerned about the accuracy of the report you’ll get, it is often preferable to hire a private investigator.

How does TruthFinder protect my privacy?

According to its website, TruthFinder secures all of its customers’ background checks and data with 256-bit encryption. This is one of the most secure ways to encrypt data and is central to security protocols and technologies like the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

However, this encryption technique is considered an industry standard for all transmissions of confidential online data. Additionally, TruthFinder has not disclosed other methods to protect customer privacy or data as of this writing.