How to Perform a Background Check By Phone Number
Cindy Ellis - October 17, 2022
Background checks are well-known as a pre-employment step, but they can also be useful for individuals looking to check vital information about potential dating partners, new neighbors, or even the parents of your kids’ friends.
If all you have is a phone number and an individual’s name, you might be wondering if there’s any background information you can easily find. Our article answers this question for you and tells you the best ways to complete a background check by phone number.
The Importance of Background Checks
Though many people may find background checks intimidating or anxiety-inducing, they are an important part of identity verification. For instance, employment background checks are designed to verify someone’s eligibility for a certain position, ensure that they are qualified for their job duties and that they won’t be a danger in the workplace.
Background checks can be used by individuals who want to make sure their neighborhoods are safe or by someone who wants to make sure that the dates they are meeting are being honest about their intentions and history. So, while they may be slightly nerve-wracking, background checks are an essential safety step.
What’s Included in a Background Check?
Background checks include various important personal information; the specific information does depend on the type of background checks being performed, such as a criminal or education background check, but many general background checks will include all basic information about a person. For example, you can expect to see criminal and civil records, education and employment records, address history, full names, and contact information such as emails and phone numbers on a background check report.
It’s important to note that different states have varying disclosure laws about the types of information on background checks, and most states have laws dictating how background checks are authorized.
3 Methods to Perform a Background Check By Phone Number
There are several ways to gain background information about a person by just using their phone number. Below, we give you the best search methods for this process; make sure to try them all to gain all of the important background information you need about a person.
If you are searching solely by phone number, you will likely not have the person’s authorization for an official background check. This is fine as long as you aren’t using the information you gain to make hiring decisions or to stalk, harass, and commit a crime.
1) Reverse Phone Lookup Tools
A reverse phone lookup tool is one of the best ways to perform a background check solely by phone number. These tools, like this one on Information.com, will return you a complete background check report about an individual based on this phone number. The report will be filled with information that is pulled from public records and other online sources, such as social media accounts and official websites, to give you a complete idea of the person’s history.
Once you have this report, you can review it for potential criminal and civil histories, address histories, education and employment information, and contact information. You may also be able to see the names of known friends, relatives, and associates of the person in question.
2) Internet and Social Media Searches
Another easy way to find background information about an individual is to perform an internet search with their phone number. Typically, the first few pages turned up will be highly relevant information regarding the phone number. You may be able to access web pages for their employers, alumni records, or their social media accounts, as typically, all of these things are connected via a phone number during sign-up.
You might also want to search social media directly, as most social media websites will ask for your name and phone number when signing up for the service. Whether the person’s settings are private or not, a simple social media search can direct you to their profile. Remember that you might also need to have an account on the specific social media platform you are searching to ensure this method works.
3) Manual Public Record Searches
A more time-consuming method, manual public record searches can turn up the important background check information you need. First, you’ll need to ensure you have the right name of the person in question; then, run a check with the reverse phone lookup tool to ensure you have the right name. From there, access the online or in-person public records in your state’s town hall or other record-holding office and perform a search.
You may be allowed to do this by yourself, or someone may need to search for you and return the results later. However, this can be a reliable method when you can’t find much information online.
Keep in mind that if the person in question has records from other states or jurisdictions, you will need to search for them to get a complete background check picture. You also might need to wait a few days for search results to be returned to you with this method, as manual public record searching is fairly time intensive.
Frequently Asked Questions About Background Checks by Phone
Now that you know the methods to do a background check by phone number, you may still have some lingering questions—we have the answers below.
What if I Need More In-Depth Information?
If you need more in-depth information than what a background check by phone number turns up, you might want to consider contacting a private investigator. A private investigator can use a person’s name and phone number to look further into their history and other vital information that you might not necessarily have access to.
Additionally, if you are concerned about the safety of a certain individual, then you might also want to run their name and phone number through the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender Public Website. The results you receive can also point you in the right direction for further research.
Is It Legal To Use People Search Tools?
As we mentioned above, it’s perfectly legal to use people search tools to figure out background check information about a person or to search for an individual online using their phone number. The reports delivered through people search tools compile public records, something anyone can access without needing specific authorization or permits.
What’s not legal is performing employment background checks without the employee’s (current or potential) prior written consent. Additionally, you may not use people search tools to evaluate a potential tenant. Also, using the information you find via a people search tool to harass, stalk, or otherwise plan or commit crimes are all illegal activities that could land you in serious legal trouble.
Finding the Background Information You Need
Background checks can be confusing, but if you need information on a person’s history quickly and easily, a phone number is just the thing to use. A reverse phone lookup tool is the best way to quickly find information about someone’s background. Still, you can also perform manual public record searches (provided you have a name to go with that phone number) or direct searches of the internet and social media.
Just make sure that you are only using the information you gain for your own peace of mind and that you don’t use the information to make hiring decisions or harass an individual, as these are bound to land you in legal trouble.
