To Check Or Not To Check

A step by step guide to following the rule of law on PeopleWhiz:

PeopleWhiz was created with one simple mission in mind: to provide the public with the most comprehensive, accurate background check reports at the click of a button without breaking the bank.

But with awesome tools come awesome responsibility. Enter the Fair Credit and Reporting Act (FCRA), a law originally passed in 1970 to regulate the legal use of consumer information filed by consumer reporting agencies. Accuracy, fair use, and privacy are among its chief concerns.

Before using PeopleWhiz, please take a moment to read through the following guide in order to better understand what you can and cannot legally use PeopleWhiz background reports for:

Illegal Use:

Screening Potential Employees for ANY Job

The background reports you obtain through PeopleWhiz cannot be used to determine a person’s eligibility for any job position, promotion, demotion, etc. If it has to do with someone’s job, DON’T use PeopleWhiz.

Hiring People To Work At Your Home

Household workers are employees as well, and fall under the same guidelines in terms of hiring practices. Babysitters, hospice caretakers, nannies, gardeners, landscapers etc. cannot be screened for employment using PeopleWhiz.

Educational Admissions & Scholarships

PeopleWhiz cannot be used to render any decision regarding a potential student’s admission to a school or educational program. Screening for scholarships falls under this as well - do not run background checks on PeopleWhiz for this purpose.

Screening Tenants

Whether you’re a landlord, property manager, developer etc., if you’re screening tenants for residential or commercial properties, don’t use PeopleWhiz to render a decision. It’s illegal and we take this very seriously.

Extending Credit & Qualifying for Insurance

Do not use PeopleWhiz to assess the risk of someone’s revolving credit obligations, and do not use us to determine whether someone is eligible for a new credit line, credit extension, or any kind of insurance policy. There are legal methods for determining an individual’s eligibility for these things and we are not one of them.

Customer Initiated Business Transactions

If you’re reviewing customer accounts to determine whether the customer continues to meet the agreed upon terms, do not use PeopleWhiz’s background reports as a resource. It is illegal to do so.

Using PeopleWhiz for any of the above outlined purposes violates not only our Terms & Conditions, but the law as well. We take violations of these guidelines seriously, and will terminate offending accounts and/or report violators to the appropriate law enforcement agency to enforce criminal penalties.

But please don’t take this warning as an attempt to scare you! We simply want to keep you safe, and to do that we need to ensure you clearly understand what you can and can’t use our services for. With that said, let’s take an even closer look at proper and improper use of this incredible public records resource we call PeopleWhiz!

Finding Your Long Lost Love -- GO FOR IT!

Whether it’s your old high school sweetheart who you just can’t find through any other means, or even an old neighborhood buddy who’s slipped into the abyss of space and time, we can find them! Don’t give up on that long lost relationship - PeopleWhiz your way to a reunion!

Screening Your Tenants -- STOP RIGHT THERE!

This is a job for a Consumer Reporting Agency, not for PeopleWhiz! DO NOT use our site to screen potential tenants - it’s more than a violation of our terms & conditions; it’s illegal!

Checking Out a Potential Roommate -- GO FOR IT!

About to sign a lease but curious about your new roomie’s past? PeopleWhiz ‘em!

Identity Theft -- STOP RIGHT THERE!

Not much explanation needed here… Identity Theft is a SERIOUS crime. Don’t use PeopleWhiz for this purpose without expecting very real criminal penalties.

Run a Check On Your Online Date -- GO FOR IT!

They don’t really know you, and you definitely do not know them. Sure they caught your eye, and you’ve been chatting it up. Enjoy the date, but play it safe! Stay one step ahead and run a background check on that date of yours before you meet in person. You can never be too careful!

Employer Background Checks -- STOP RIGHT THERE!

Doesn’t matter if it’s a prospective employee or a current one, as an employer you CANNOT use PeopleWhiz for business related background checks, PERIOD.

Obtaining Public Court Records -- GO FOR IT!

Not so long ago, if you wanted to get your hands on public court records, you’d have to physically go around gathering them, which was a real pain in the neck. But not anymore! Go ahead and get whatever court documents you need through us! It’s one of the many things we’re famous for!

Screening Household Workers for Employment -- STOP RIGHT THERE!

This falls under the same category as any other type of employment screening - a big NO NO! Do not use PeopleWhiz to screen babysitters, nannies, hospice care workers, etc. If you’re hiring, we are NOT the legal source for your vetting.

Checking Out Online Buyers and Sellers -- GO FOR IT!

Posting an item for sale online? Or maybe you’re buying something someone listed. Either way, if you have to meet in person to complete the transaction… run a background check! You won’t be sorry you played it safe.

Qualifying Someone for a Mortgage, Credit Line, or Insurance -- STOP RIGHT THERE!

You CANNOT use PeopleWhiz to determine someone’s eligibility for any of the above listed products & services. It’s a violation of our Terms & Conditions and more importantly, it’s a violation of the law.

The Self Search -- GO FOR IT!

This is one of the most common reasons people use PeopleWhiz! If you don’t know what’s in your public records, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Courts and other entities which file and store public records are not infallible - mistakes and errors are more common than you might think. Arm yourself with the knowledge of what’s in your public records to avoid any potential negative real world effects these errors can cause.

Stalking or Spying on Someone -- STOP RIGHT THERE!

People have a right to their privacy, and we expect our site users to respect that. If you need to run a background check on someone, absolutely go right ahead. But do not stalk them, or use the information gleaned from PeopleWhiz to begin spying on them. This is NOT okay.

Getting a Person’s Current Address -- GO FOR IT!

If there’s someone out there who you just need to send an invitation or greeting card to, but you lost their address, or haven’t been in contact with them in some time, you can always used PeopleWhiz to find them! Connecting people is one of our favorite things to do!

Contacting Someone Who Has Explicitly Told You Not To -- STOP RIGHT THERE!

If your search target is someone who has told you not to contact them, you need to respect that. Do not use PeopleWhiz to harass anybody!

Other Reasons People Use PeopleWhiz

• Your husband’s creepy pal hanging around your house all day? Background check time!
• Looking for that girl next door you grew up with? We got their info here!
• Kids carpool to school? Don’t let them step into that car before you check out the driver!
• Address book cluttered with a bunch of outdated info? Clean it up with PeopleWhiz!
• Grew up not knowing your biological mom or dad, and now you’re curious to find out about them? We can help!
• Had a misdemeanor back in the day and want to ensure the record was expunged? Let’s make sure together.
• Searching for a specific court document but don’t want to physically go to court to get it? We have it here!
• Some annoying phone number you don’t recognize won’t stop calling you? Find out who they are with our reverse phone number lookup.
• Looking for some hard-to-find facts for your latest investigative story? PeopleWhiz might be just the resource you’ve been searching for.
• Moving to a new neighborhood, or maybe some new neighbors just moved next door? Find out the truth about your neighbors with PeopleWhiz.
• Want to keep your kids as far away from sex offenders as possible? We have detailed local sex offenders maps here.

If you’re even remotely concerned that your intended use of PeopleWhiz might be illegal, please go to our Terms & Conditions page and give it a thorough read. And of course you can always contact us by phone or email as well - we’re available 24/7 and we’re happy to help!

Finally, if you’re looking for public records information for any reason deemed illegal or not permitted by PeopleWhiz, please visit a Consumer Reporting Agency.