A background check is not as simple as merely entering a name into Google and seeing what you can find. There are a range of manual checks that need to be carried out and hundreds of other information sources to be investigated.

Some businesses rely on a single database to carry out background checks, but a single source is not going to capture all the necessary data – and could leave you exposed to unnecessary risks. A Google search is a useful tool in an initial check and could provide you with any major red flags about the asset you're investigating, but it could miss vital, more subtle information.

Money talks

Some companies offer background checks for as little as £30, which may sound like a bargain but, in reality, these seemingly cost-savvy checks usually amount to little more than a few mouse clicks on a couple of websites. Would you feel confident basing important decisions on such sparse information? Probably not.

A brief but thorough background check costs a couple of hundred pounds and consists of data taken from a collection of sources, such as social media posts, marriage registers, former employers and so on; it depends on the nature of the background investigation and who, or what, is being investigated.

A more extensive background investigation can cost double, but this draws on more information sources and could involve physical trips to record offices. A large amount of valuable information, for example court records, is simply not available online. Such an extensive check will also give you peace of mind as a complete, impartial picture of your target is built.

The high costs for a thorough background check are due to the fact that the best proprietary databases are expensive and physical visits to record offices take time, travel and, therefore, money. There is also no all-knowing database in existence where a private investigator can simply pop in a person's national insurance number to find out everything from their employment history to their preferred holiday destination. Good background checks take a lot of legwork.

However, if you consider the cost of a potential fallout from not conducting a thorough check, then it's obvious that extensive background checks are time-saving and cost-effective tools.

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