What exactly is a background check? It simply refers to an investigation of a person’s history. There are many reasons why someone would hire a private investigator to perform a background check, all primarily falling within these categories:
Employment Background Investigation: Most pre-employment background checks pertain to determining if there is a history of criminal activity, seeking information on education levels and confirming the legitimacy of references. In addition to criminal background checks, education verifications and reference checks, the most common types of employment background investigations are credit checks and motor vehicle license verification.
Government Background Checks: Some government checks require expert investigations. In the case of a government position requiring use of a firearm, for example, it is essential to delve into the authenticity of qualifications, training certificates, references, criminal records and hard-to-trace events that are relevant to the appointment of the individual.
Expert Private Investigations: To truly unravel personal and well-hidden secrets, a professional private investigator is required. Private invesitgators have many tools within their arsenal: everything from interviewing friends and family of the individual in question to putting together a personality profile based on the person’s online presence. For example, when trying to determine if someone defrauded an insurance company by filing for disability due to an injury, a Private Investigator could monitor the person’s Facebook account for suspiciously athletic updates.
If you’re interested in performing these kinds of background checks, you may have a future in the field of private investigation. The National Investigative Training Academy, Inc. (NITA) is an online provider of state-approved and accredited private investigator training classes, including Investigative Options for the Claims Professional and Fraud Training. Call 1-800-730-NITA (6482) for more information.
Our enrollment counselors are here to answer any questions you might have about our state- and board-approved status, pre-licensing training, or professional development programs.
