Are Social Media Background Checks Really Helpful?

Over the past two decades, social media has grown exponentially, now having billions of users around the world. 

While the goal of such websites was to connect people and allow them to share photos and special moments with ease, it has become a breeding ground for various scams. 

Nowadays there are all too many people who use social media to "catfish" others; while some do it from boredom, others have less than innocent goals. 

Luckily, we live in a time where you can get access to people's information, and find out who may be lying to you. For that purpose, a social media background check is available to you, and this is what you need to know about it.

What is a Social Media Background Check?

A social media background check is a process used to verify a person’s identity, background, and reputation using information gathered from social media sources. 

This type of background check is often used by employers, landlords, and other organizations to make informed decisions when hiring or renting to individuals. 

For personal purposes, a social media background check can help you get a better understanding of who you’re dealing with before you interact with them. 

It can also help you protect yourself by ensuring that you’re not dealing with someone with a shady or harmful background. A background check can also provide valuable insight into a person’s character, including their interests, hobbies, and activities.

Why Do I Need to Perform a Social Media Background Check?

We come in contact with people on a daily basis; whether it is a new neighbor, a new friend, a potential romantic interest, or others. 

Most of the people that we come in contact with are who they say they are, but what about those who are not? 

This is where a social media background check can come in handy; A social media background check can help you in your personal life by providing insight into the online presence and behavior of people you interact with. 

This information can help you make informed decisions about who to trust and interact with, as well as identify red flags that may indicate potential danger or harmful behavior. Some specific ways a social media background check can benefit you include:

Protecting your personal safety: By checking the online profiles of individuals you meet, you can look for signs of criminal activity, hate speech, or other harmful behavior that may pose a threat to your safety.

Making informed decisions about relationships: A social media background check can help you determine whether someone is being truthful about their past, background, and intentions. This information can be useful when deciding whether to pursue a romantic relationship, form a business partnership, or befriend someone.

Protecting your reputation: By monitoring your own social media presence, you can make sure that your online behavior aligns with your personal values and that you are not inadvertently damaging your reputation through your online actions.

It's important to remember that a social media background check is only one piece of information and should not be relied on as the sole source of information when making decisions about people.

How Can I Perform Such a Check?

To perform a social media background check, you can follow these steps:
Identify the individual: Start by gathering the person's full name, date of birth, and location. This information can help you locate their social media profiles.

Search for profiles

Use search engines and social media platforms to search for the individual's profiles. Popular social media sites to check include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Review the information

Once you have located the person's profiles, carefully review their posts, comments, and photos. Look for any red flags, such as criminal behavior, hate speech, or violent or aggressive language.

Cross-reference information

Check the information the individual has provided on their social media profiles against other publicly available information, such as news articles, public records, and court documents. This can help you verify the accuracy of the information they have shared.

Use caution

When conducting a social media background check, it's important to respect the individual's privacy and use caution when accessing and interpreting their online information. Avoid making any assumptions or decisions based on limited information, and always consider the context of the information you are viewing.

How to Perform an In-Depth Social Media Background Check

If you met a new person, whether it was online or in person, you should always be cautious. If you want to take a peek at their social media accounts, you can ask for their user handles in person, or perform an online social media background check. 

To do so, you need access to public records, access that is available to you on backgroundcheck.co; to perform the search, all you have to do is type in the name of the person in question. Then, the search engine on the website will begin to scan public records, including social media profiles.

At the end of the search you will receive a report that will include the social media accounts of the said person; you will be able to view where they have accounts, what information they put on their profiles if they are using a false name, and much more.

Also, within the report, you will receive other vital details about the person: their age, marital status, criminal records, and much more. It is a safe and quick way to discover information about people, and find out who is lying to you and who is truthful.