Founded in March 2015, TruthFinder is a relative newcomer to the online background check and people search industry. However, don’t mistake youth for low quality. The service takes the typical online background check experience and levels it up with a killer user interface, excellent customer support, and comprehensive records.
To test TruthFinder, I tried to locate an old friend from high school. Starting out, I wasn’t able to find much about him online. I tracked down his Facebook account, but it hadn’t been updated in several years.
Here’s a handy tip to keep in mind when using background check sites: write down all the information you have before you begin your search. That includes:
- First and last name
- Gender
- Birthdate and age
- Last known location
The more information you have, the easier it is to pull the exact right record. This is especially true if the person has a common name — common names can give you hundreds of results that need filtering before you find the right one.
TruthFinder Home Page
When I first landed on the site I was greeted with a straightforward interface asking me to input the name and location of the person I was trying to locate. Simple enough. I wasn’t sure what city he was currently living in so I left that field blank since it was optional.
Search Page
After entering the name and state, I selected the correct gender and my search was under way. This part takes a couple of minutes, but based on the amount of information TruthFinder must be searching I can’t imagine it being done in seconds. As the search progressed I had to answer a couple of questions to help narrow down the results, but it was interesting to see what kept popping up. When finished, it turned up a few dozen results, which I was able to narrow down to the report I was looking for.
Report Page
The report itself was rich in data. It started with basic info like name, aliases, and birth date. In these screenshots, I blacked out some information to protect identity, but everything is accessible on the site.
It also provided more in-depth information, such as work history. I’m not sure how they gathered all this data, but when I double-checked it against another source, it was spot on.
Contact
The contact information was a mixed bag but contained up-to-date info. It listed a phone number my friend hadn’t used in a long time in addition to his current one, plus a slew of possible email addresses. Next to them, it listed a “Valid Since” date, which told me how current they are.
Locations
The locations section was extremely comprehensive, stretching all the way back to his childhood home. If you’re looking for a mailing address, this is the place to look. I was able to see where he lives now, as well as a few spots he’d lived in the last few years. To get more data on any specific location, you can click “View Location Report,” which gives you neighbors, demographics, and current residents.
Criminal & Traffic Records
This is the part where it gets interesting. I know the person I searched for was a law-abiding citizen — or so I thought. When I scrolled down to the criminal & traffic records section, I was genuinely shocked at what I saw.
My friend had been arrested in another state on drug charges — a felony drug charge.
It was fascinating to see all the information associated with the arrest: the conviction, the plea entered, and more. Unfortunately, this report didn’t include a mugshot, but according to the website, offender mugshots are available for many reports. TruthFinder lays out all of this information in a simple, readable format.
Social Profiles
The social profiles section was also useful. Sure, it had the Facebook profile I already knew about. But it also had a Twitter account, a Foursquare account, LinkedIn, and Google+. Other reports I browsed even listed social networks and online forums I hadn’t heard of. In one case, there were even references to adult websites, which was surprising.
Additional Features
TruthFinder is unique in that it doesn’t just offer basic background check info. You can also access public records in other ways.
Search by Email
Sometimes when you’re trying to track someone down, you don’t have their name, age, and city. If all you have is an email address, you might still be able to find them via TruthFinder.
Address Lookup
Curious about your neighbors? Want to learn about them even if you don’t have their name? The TruthFinder address lookup feature can give you a bunch of info about a particular address, including current and past residents.
PDF Downloads
Sometimes it’s easier to have a copy on file. TruthFinder offers PDF downloads for an additional one-time fee of $2, letting you download as many reports as you want. The PDFs are well designed and lay out the information in a pleasing, readable format.
Report Monitoring
Online background check reports aren’t static — new information is added all the time. If you want to be updated whenever a report gains new data, you can choose to do so at no extra cost. I thought this was a fantastic perk.
Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 Month | $27.78/mo |
| 2 Month (billed every 2 months) | $23.02/mo ($46.04 total) |
TruthFinder has two pricing plans: month-to-month and a two-month plan. The price fluctuates frequently, so it might be slightly higher or lower when you sign up.
Customer Service
According to the website, TruthFinder offers customer support by email, chat, and phone, 7 days a week. I didn’t have any technical issues while conducting this review, but the fact that support is available on weekends is comforting. One thing I really liked: it was a breeze to cancel online without having to call in or send an email.
Bottom Line
The people behind TruthFinder did a great job combining an excellent user interface, a comprehensive list of information, and a ton of cool optional features. The price is a steal — a tiny fraction of what it would cost to pay a private detective. The fact that you get unlimited reports means you don’t have to think twice about looking someone up.
This is online background checks at its best. No one yet comes close to this combination of data completeness, useful features, and simple design. It’s a powerful research tool for anyone who wants to find people or learn more about people’s pasts.