Alert! PUBLIC RECORDS SCAMS!
Posted by Belle
Updated: March 7th, 2010
“Warning: Beware Of Online Public Records Scams!
I Can’t Believe The Hours I’ve Wasted On These So Called Public Records Sites……”
If there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that you can’t always believe what companies claim on their sites. It’s ridiculous and I’m frustrated to be honest with you! That’s one of the reasons why I created this site.
For The Job…
Public records are incredibly beneficial for a company. For instance, I work from home and have to hire people occasionally. When you work from home it’s harder to make sure people are doing their job reliably because you can’t see them. So, by checking people’s public records–county records, criminal, financial, and vital records–we can see patterns in their pasts that will give us a better chance of finding more reliable new hires. If you are bringing people into your office then you definitely want to know what type of person you are bringing into your environment.
So, I’m A Cheapskate… 
I tried to do the Cheap/Free approach at first. It’s kind of funny actually to think of how much time I wasted. Well, not really!?! So picture this…here I am doing a public records search on Google for this guy that I interviewed. Then, I think I found him. I click on the link and it’s another search box wanting me to search for him again. So, I do and they want me to purchase before I see anything. So, I keep looking and finally figured out that I’m not going to find zilch until I purchase one of these things. I went through about 10 of them before I finally found the data. Then, I start going through my list to get a refund. Do these companies even know what in the world customer service is????
Jump to my Top Pick for Public Records!*
* Includes Free Sex Offender Map! (effective. Jan 1, 2010)
And The Winner Is…(Drumroll please)
Anyway, that was a debacle and I learned the hard way. But, the site I found the data on was “Net Detective”. I was actually surprised because it was a fair price according to the other sites out there. I got Unlimited public records searches. Which, by the way, helps a lot because some of those guys charge you up front then want to charge you every time you search. Sheesh! One of the other things I thought was really cool with Net Detective was that they gave me a phone number to call if I had trouble. So, I couldn’t find this one person I was looking for info on and wanted to see if there was a better way. Rather than telling me the better way they actually looked up the record for me. Is that cool or what?
Click Here For Net Detective!*
* Includes Free Sex Offender Map! (effective. Jan 1, 2010)
Second Place Goes To…
In the runner-up spot, with very good customer care, great U.S. converage, and a big database is Complete Detective. I prefer the interface of Net Detective–seems a little easier to get around for a novice computer user. But between these two services, you really cannot go wrong.
There are lots of third place winners, too many to name here. You are welcome to search google for public records or public county records and go through the top 10 links you see. You can also look at the sponsored links on the side. But hey, don’t waste your time. 
I’ve already done that so you don’t have to!
So, thanks for listening to me ramble on… Anyways, I hope you’ll find this helpful when it comes time to do some effective public records searches online.
Hey! i am 19 year old girl & i recently met a guy on facebook. he seem’s like a decent guy, & we’ve been talking on the phone. i’m from Missouri & he lives in Kentucky but he want;t to visit soon. Should i do a background check or something just to be safe. I know it’s scary these days with meeting people you don’t know. So i’m just curious as to what to do & what website to use?! Please help.. Thank you:]
Kili,
Great question. I just helped a friend run a background check on a guy she knew from high school and had rekindled a relationship with via Facebook. Meeting people online is so easy… I met my husband that way, no joke! But you absolutely have to be careful. Why not use an online tool to check him out? Give one of the tools above a try. If it doesn’t work out, you can still get a refund.
Best of luck and be careful girl!
~ Belle
A friend of mine met a guy on face book, and when all said and done, he had her sending nude pictures of herself which he posted on the internet he said he was 19, turned out to be 58. He used an alias and a picture that he copied off line.
Well, all I can say is, she sent them herself. That was entirely her choice. C’mon girls, we gotta stick together and play it safe! BE SMART!!
~ Belle
I am trying to find a death record or otopsy report on a close friend. we lost touch a few yrs. ago and the cause of death was reported suspicous in a local paper. i just need to know what happened.
Matt, your best bet is to call the autopsy office directly. Got a hospital or city already? Great. Unfortunately, none of the online services I use contain autopsy records. But I’m sure they’re out there!
~ Belle
please let me know where to go to find these records so I can print them and send them to the School board. I can not afford to pay for them
Sharon, if you don’t want to pay for them then you have to contact the local issuing public office. They should be able to give you copies. Otherwise, if you want to print them yourself there is no way around it… you’ll need to buy an online service like the ones above. Good luck to you!
~ Belle
I need my DMV record of my DUI in 1996. I do not have any of the paperwork since it has been 14 years and it was a misemeanor and it does not show up on any of my records but I am trying to get a job as a bus driver for a school district and need the papers.
Sharon, instead of the DMV angle, have you considered the court records? How about the attorney’s office? One of those places is sure to have it. But if it doesn’t turn up, whatcha worried about?
Ah, just joking. Of course you need to cover yourself.
~ Belle
Hi, my name is charles and I am interested in starting a online public records business. Can any one tell me where I can buy this data, and also what license requirements must I meet in the state of calif. thanks for your input…love your site
Charles,
I would start by calling the companies that provide these services: Net Detective, Complete Detective, Intelius, etc. Or, search for public records data wholesaler. Good luck. Sounds interesting!
~ Belle
i want my uncle’s prison records
Prison records… usually are easiest to obtain from the prison. Considering how many inmates there are right now — ughhhhh!!!!! — I don’t see any way an online records site can keep up. Do you know the prison? Give ‘em a call. Let me know if you can’t find the number and I’ll try to help!
~ Belle
I am filling out a job application that requires an exact listing of all the jobs I have hadd in my past - dates and company names - how do I aquire that information?
Please Assist
Thank You
Robb mayo
336-464-6265
Replied in another post. Thanks.
~ Belle
How do I know that this is a trusted website?
Meena,
That’s a very appropriate question. First of all, if you click this link–McAfee Site Advisor–you’ll see that this is site is rated GREEN for safety, Adware, and Spam by McAfee. What this means is I am not going to cause you any problems. Now as for earning your trust, I will leave that to my readers to comment on. So it’s open season! Anyone care to comment?
All I care about is spreading the tips and tricks that work for me. You can take them or leave them, but I do suggest you check them out. Thanks for posting!
~ Belle
I need help in finding out if my family has any rights to property that’s been in the family for 80 years or better. My uncle and his wife who now both dead had the records of the property but my grandfather’s name is still listed as the owner he died many years ago..the executor gave the property to my uncles wife’s family what can I do?
If you don’t have any paper work from your grandfather, or executor of state, or judge,or can prove fool play in the court of law, which will, WILL it to you or your side of the family, it is a dead issue to pursue. Unless you can pusuade the other family to be kind to your side of the family and share.
God bless and good luck.
i am tryng to create a family tree and trace my roots. is there a site that i can go to that is really free?
Amanda, I believe there are some truly free ancestor sites. But beware of anything free–often times you get what you pay for!
~ Belle
I am lokking for a truely FREE sight that can tell me about divorces in AR. They all say they are free but to get to anything past a name and state, which you’ve already given, you get nodda. Do I have to pay to get “public records”?
Valerie, you do not have to pay to call up or drive down to your local courthouse. But if you want to sit in the comfort of your home and do searches online, in any state, you have to pay. Basically, you’re not paying for the records themselves. Rather you pay for the search engine technology, the web data architects, and the designers. Oh, and you also are paying to make sure those records are up to date. Well good luck and let us know what you decide to do.
~ Belle
thanks too for stating net detective gives their telephone #, at least we can call to get our money back
If you need your money back, yes you can call them. You can also call them for something called “Assisted Search” where they will help you find what your looking for if you cannot find it on your own. Pretty cool…
Does anyone know if there is a way to get someone’s cell phone number for real. I’ve read some things about cell phone directories you can pay to access. Do they really exist? If anyone knows please let me know. I’m willing to spend some money, but I’ld rather not pay for nothing.
Sheri, I am happy to inform you that Net Detective also does reverse phone lookups on both cell and landline numbers. Does this help or are you looking for something different?
~ Belle
okay. my name is ashley and my boyfriend went to prison. well i dont know how to get his case number an i cant get a free site. can any 1 help
You can call the Dept of Corrections, I think they’re in Sacramento. I think all you need is his name and date of birth;They will give you his cdc number. They will tell you what facility he’s in or how to find out. Good luck
dept. of corrections should have a web site.all you need is name and d.o.b.
I believe what Amanda says is correct… the just the basic info (name, d.o.b.).
~ Belle
if it’s public record it should be free period. are there any reverse call phone look ups that are reall free?
KC,
I plan to write an article on Reverse Phone Look Ups. I am just finishing up my research. (Exhaustive!!) As for your comment, “if it’s public it should be free,” you’re not alone in thinking that. In fact it’s my most commonly written comment, er, complaint. Well, my standard answer–and I stick by it–is that while yes, public records are free, there are companies that compile, track, clean up, tie together, and bundle up this data then put it on ultra fast servers with advanced searching algorithms (or something like that). It’s the upkeep in technology and instant access across any city, state, and county in this great land that I pay for. I hope this makes sense to you, as it makes a lot of sense to me. I welcome feedback!
~ Belle
I’m going to buy a house. That house has been vacanted for 2 years. I’m wondering if there is any problem with that house before and during its vacancy? such as ‘result of crime’ or ‘haunted house’? Do you know where can I search for this info? I don’t trust realtor/seller information.
Thanks,
LV
Hmmm… not that I now of. Is it bank owned? They might have some info. If not make sure you always request a seller’s disclosure. Hope this helps!
If I were in your situation I would ask neighbors, espcially older women because they like to gossip, maybe at a hair salon. I would also check with the police dept. you could also try the libraries news paper archives or you call a local colmnist. This may be harder than on-line searches but atleast you’d be face to face just incase they all give you diggerent stories. Happy Hunting!
Is there a truly free website to find out if a house is in forclosure, who the owners are or the bank that has the lein on it???
Sara,
Yes there is: National Foreclosure Alert. http://nationalforeclosurealert.com/
~ Belle
Belle,
I am taking a class on private
investigating. Reading your comments helped.
Virginia,
That’s excellent! I hope you learn a lot in your class. And when you come back to visit us, please share some new tips! Good luck.
~ Belle
Just curious… where are you taking this class? I used to teach one myself many moons ago!
My 75 years old brother with seriuos alzheimer problems lost all his documents and ID cards.Can you help me with this matter? Can you give me your phone number ?
Where do you live. City,State. That will have a lot to do with where you go to find your documents.
Kelli
Gosh, I feel for you. That is why many insurance companies are going with electronic records. I’m sure you’ve tried the insurance companies. If I come up with any more ideas I’ll let you know. Thanks for posting and best of luck.
~ Belle
Hi guys, like you I got scammed and still trying to get a refund we can’t even join the customer service. But not like you I can’t use Net Detective because it only covers the US and I’m a Canadian resident. Wanted to know any of you people had any luck getting a refund from the other Public checks like govregistry.us or publicrecordsonline.com and so on and so on. Don’t worry I only got scammed by one of them but they seem to be all linked together after long research. Keep me posted please. and thank you.
Hi Bryan,
Thanks for the comment. I have been scammed before! And one of the sites you listed scammed me pretty badly. But I’d love to hear from others. Folks, this is a serious thing and we cannot let it happen to innocent consumers. The more info we all have, the better. Do let us know your stories!
~ Belle
Thank you so much for this sight! I would of paid money to find out that i would of gotten screwed! Keep up the great work.
im trying to do basic background searches as well as get names to wireless numbers on applications… Needing help with the most effective and less costly way? HELP!!!!!
Hi there,
The most effective and least costly way is to use the public records service I use: Net Detective. There are others out there. Check them out. Basically they’re all about what you’re looking to do: background searches, reverse phone lookups incl. wireless, land lines, etc. Good luck to you and thanks for writing!
~ Belle
Wanted to chime in… I am a private eye. I cannot reveal my true name. But I have used many online services like Net Detective, only to find there is one and only one worth using! Belle has hit the nail squarely on the head here folks. There’s a reason so many private eyes like myself rely on this service. Okay, enough from me. Back to work.
i dont know how to get the information. I was in the hospital when i over heard some ome using my name, saying i violated a court order. Never got one! That I was going to have to register as a sex offender for pictures i know nothing about. What can I do? Please help
Deidre,
Yikes! My recommendation would be to talk to a lawyer first. If you’re innocent, then you have nothing to worry about! Right? Best of luck to you!
~ Belle
hi im interested in obtaining pi services but until now have been unable to locate any PIs email me at jillybean878@yahoo.com. Thanks
Hi Jill,
Thanks for the note. We get lots of visitors from all walks of like here on this site. While I am not a PI and cannot I recommend one, I hope someone will see your request and leave you a message. Best of luck in your public records search!
~ Belle
it sounds good but is there a charge
Randall,
Yes, there is a charge for instant online access to public records on over 90% of the U.S. population. You can view unlimited records without ever leaving your desk at home. There are teams of data and technology people who make sure the systems are always running, the data is current, and your satisfaction has been met. Unfortunately, these days we all want stuff for free. Sooner or later it will be free, but right now it’s a small price. Plus I think they’re giving away 3 full years of membership for the price of one year. I hope this helps!
~ Belle
Great Post Belle. I could not agree more.
I, like you, got scammed by a background check site. I wanted to do a basic background check on a nanny for my children and the pool guy. I was very disappointed because I thought I was paying for access to unlimited info upfront but then when I got into the program I had to buy “credits” to look up more people. I tried to get a hold of their customer support to get a refund and went weeks with no answer. I found a few sites who recommended Net Detective and so far I have been very pleased with the product. I was able to ease my mind on the nanny and pool guy. As a mother, it is VERY important to me to know the people is around my kids (Especially with all the crazy people on the news lately!)
Darren- I like you LOVE that they provided a phone number. I was a little weary at first because of the issue I had with the previous service, so I called before purchasing the product to make sure it was real. I know it seems paranoid but I wanted to make sure someone would answer me this time.
Belle,
what sold me on this was the fact that they provide a phone number. I love that!!!! so many services have no real customer service. this one stands apart. thanks for the tip!! happy blogging, darren
Paul,
You would have to look up the public records on either this individual or the company. I do not have the answer for you, unfortunately. I think a pay site would be a very good place to start. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
~ Belle
How can I find out if Fleetpride Corporation CEO Todd Dunn From Woodland ,TX has any Judgements againt the Corporation?
I really don’t know how you would find that out using a public records tool. For this you might need to contact some locals, maybe a PI or a lawyer in Woodland? I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Best of luck!
~ Belle
Net Detective worked for me. I learned there’s a sex offender who lives just down the street from me. OMG!!!
Sweet! I mean, eeewwwww! Well, at least you know where NOT to trick or treat this year! thanks for sharing.
~ Belle