Until a decade or so ago, PI's gathered information the old
fashioned way: they made numerous phone calls to contacts and associates;
they went out looking for answers; they asked questions; they dug through
repositories of printed records.
Times have changed: the modern PI still asks a lot of
questions. That phase of the snoop business will probably never change. He,
and more often she, continue to rely on phone, fax, and Internet.
It is the computer and the Internet that has brought about
the greatest transformation to the way the pros do their jobs nowadays. The
proliferation of computer databases has really changed things,
including, and especially, the methods of information collecting, storing,
and distribution. These technological advances affect all of us:
the way we live, how we work; how business is conducted.
There's one good thing the information age has brought with
it: more than ever before, we Americans have the lawful right to tap into
huge repositories of information. We have the means, right at our
fingertips, to access a veritable treasure trove of practical, useful
information.
With very few exceptions, every American is on file somewhere. Hundreds, if
not thousands, of repositories throughout the country and around the world
have a record of you - and numerous details about you.
Submit Our
Extensive Background Check to see what is in public records about you using our
connection to a world network of database.
Credit Bureaus gather credit data about individuals from a vast network of retailers, businesses, and financial institutions. In exchange for this data, they provide credit information to all their
members. This information is also sold or traded to one or more of the giant Commercial Credit Bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
These Commercial Credit Bureaus sell information to local credit bureaus, as well as to a variety of Information Providers, who resell it to their clients, most of whom are known as Information Professionals.
All involved in this "data chain" must agree to enforce the regulations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Generally, the Act stipulates that credit information is
confidential and can only be released to those with whom you have applied for credit and to those to whom you have given permission to review your credit history.
Business Reports
If you are a member of a Business Credit Bureau, you may request a credit report about any business, regardless of its size. Many information providers are online with Dun & Bradstreet and will
access this information for you - for a fee. Our specially designed
Business Profile Investigation searches
for all available records pertaining to a business, including business assets,
professional licenses, and principals.
A major source of information has been created by the telephone industry - the same people who publish your local phone directory. Seasoned Private Investigators advise you to start any investigation with the phone directory. You might get lucky right away.
Another resource is city cris-cross directories in which information is collected and published for community use. Cris-cross directories list neighbors, who may provide more complete and worthwhile information than is available from any directory, records source, or database.
Note: Cris-cross directories of every city in the world (!) are maintained at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
There are plenty of free public records available at the local level. You will find local phone directories at the public library. These directories have also been combined on database. This allows you to search each directory one at a time, or search larger geographical areas with the help of Information Providers. Some directory services may be contacted simply by dialing a (free) 800 or (pay-by-the-minute) 900 number. The Internet will prove to be an excellent source of information and can be searched by city, state, or region. Try all the big search engines. Try variations of your search submission. As with ordinary phone directories, you may get a hit right away.
Information StatusRelease of information is governed by laws whose effects at the national, state, and county levels are diverse and far-reaching. Information about you - about all of us - is classed either open, semi-open, or closed. At the national level, the laws are fairly consistent, but at the state and county levels, interpretation governing the release of information varies from state to state, county to county.
Open records are records open to public scrutiny. You have a broad right of access - without discrimination - to government information. Most important, you do not have to prove a need to know or furnish a reason why you seek certain information. And, once you have it, you are free to use it and disseminate it any why you see fit. You can even sell it, as many do.
Public records are gathered and cross-referenced by an army of database operators. The information is combined, sold, and traded to other database operators, and ultimately sold to end-users.
Most records, except those covered by privacy acts, are public or "open" records.
For a number of of reasons, access to semi-open records is limited. Legal dictates, state statutes, and business policies may limit access. Financial reports, credit reports, medical records, and employment information are all considered semi-open records.
Closed records are maintained by the federal government. Closed records can be opened only by court order and are not subject to The Freedom of Information Act.
Once you have determined which records are public, which are private, which are
open, semi-closed, and closed, and which state and local laws apply to you - you
are ready to begin your information quest.Information Brokers, Information Distributors, Information
Resellers, Information Providers
These new job titles have carved an
impressive notch in our daily language, especially our business language.
Here are some terms you should know:State Repository
Records of a similar nature are stored on microfilm,
microfiche, computer database, and/or on paper. State capitals are
repositories of local, county, and state records. Credit bureaus are
repositories of credit information. The US Postal Service is a
repository of change-of-address information.Records Distributors
These companies have access to many information
repositories. They disseminate this data in high volume to Information
Providers. Many of these repository databases are highly specialized and
complex, such as the database operated by the US Postal Service.Value Added Information Resellers (VAIR)
Information Providers are on-line with Information
Distributors, who can locate and call up data almost instantaneously.
"Value" is added by combining related data from other searches, then
reselling that data in single units or combination packages at a profit.
A VAIR may conduct a social search using a SSN by requesting
reports from all three major credit bureaus.
A VAIR can run a state driver license search and a national
change-of-address search to locate an individual.
PI's and individuals, called "end users," purchase data from
VAIR's department store-like catalog of services.
Information Resellers may also offer access to their own
databases to a variety of Information Professionals.
You can
run an
Expert Assisted Background Check
using our connections to a world
network of databases.Information Specialists, Private Investigators, Tenant Screeners,
Employment Background Specialists
These are people who gather data for a client. They are
called Information Professionals. The insurance, legal, financial, real
estate and employment industries seek out the services of Information
Professionals who extract the details from a variety of sources, from the
library, from public records, from interviews.
Information Retriever is the job title assigned to
individuals who retrieve and deliver specific records and/or data.
Information Professionals often have access to data directly
from the distributor, especially if their volume warrants the expense. (If
you are considering a career as a Professional Investigator or Information
Provider, check out these huge database systems.) Small users and single
unit purchasers will employ the services of VAIRS - Information Providers.
For the nonprofessional, VAIR'S offer added value. They
prepare their customer's requests in the proper way and know how to
interpret the information received. Also, they generally know what
information they must access and what the information on the report really
means. Some records contain complex codes. The assistance offered by a
professional will help you to derive more useful data from the reports you
receive. A reputable professional will most likely be familiar with the many
laws that regulate the release of information.
There are a variety of ways to access and receive
information from databases. Requests can be made by mail, phone, fax, or
email.
We've listed a few of the large national databases. Even
though you probably won't be accessing them directly, it is helpful to know
who they are and what information they furnish.Business Public Records Databases
Ninety percent of what you want to know has probably already
been researched - especially in the corporate sector. Many companies specialize in business news and related
public records, providing information relating to mergers and acquisitions -
legal and financial, company and industry - plus competitive intelligence
information. The services and information these companies offer might
provide important data to flesh out business background investigations.
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