Truthfinder Review
Curious about someone's past? TruthFinder's powerful background check service can provide detailed reports and fascinating insights. Read on to know how.
Overall Score | 4.1 | ||
Price | 3.8 | ||
Mobile App | 4.5 | ||
Customer Service | 4.0 | ||
Ease of Use | 4.3 | ||
Trustworthy | 4.0 | ||
Pros and Cons
- Simple to use
- Unlimited reports
- Responsive customer service
- No marriage/divorce records
- Auto-renews after trial
Bottom Line
Legit background check with dark web monitoring
Like many background check services, TruthFinder promises to provide info beyond surface-level searches. This way, you get more comprehensive search results.
How much of this is true? Take a look at its features and see if you can "find the truth" in just a few clicks.
What Is TruthFinder?
TruthFinder is an online people search engine that consolidates background information from third-party data sources. It crawls through billions of US public records and compiles them into one digestible report.
Individuals can access this tool for personal use by paying a monthly membership fee. A limited-time trial may also be available, but more on that later.
Here are some info you can discover with a basic people search:
- First and last name
- Addresses
- Photos
- Social media profiles
- Location history
- Related persons
- Birth information
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses
- Employment history
- Educational history
- Possible associates
- Business ownership
- Assets
- Criminal and traffic records
- Arrest records
- Court records
Who Is TruthFinder Best For?
TruthFinder is great for those who want to:
- Trace old friends or estranged family members
- Double-check your online date's information
- Vet new sellers
- Learn more about your neighbors
- Catch a cheating spouse
TruthFinder can be useful for individuals who need to access public records and background information without the heavy lifting. Just make sure not to use it when hiring employees, assessing creditworthiness, and screening property renters.
Employers should not use TruthFinder to screen job applicants. Based on the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you will need a consumer reporting agency for that purpose,[1] which TruthFinder isn't.
TruthFinder Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Multiple data sources
- Simple to use
- Unlimited TruthFinder reports
- Responsive customer support
- Dark web monitoring option
- Tailored membership plan option
- Report monitoring option
- Opt out for your own listing
Cons:
- Auto-renews to a monthly plan after trial
- No marriage/divorce records
- Misleading reverse email lookup results
- Extra charge for downloadable reports
How Does TruthFinder Work?
TruthFinder aggregates personal records that you may otherwise have to find manually. You can search by name, phone number, address, or email address, all in one place.
For example, with a People Search, you can just input the person's first and last name and press Search.
During the initial scan, it will try to locate possible matches. It will also ask you for corroborating data such as known location, age, etc. These will help narrow your search, especially if the person has a common name.
Once you confirm the right person, it crawls through its data sources. These include federal, state, and county records, social media platforms, and other public websites.
When it's done searching, you will be directed to the payment page. Once you have paid, find the full report from your dashboard.
You remain anonymous as a TruthFinder user because it won't alert the person that you are checking them out. Rest assured, you can be confident in your search despite the most sensitive of circumstances.
TruthFinder Pricing Plans
TruthFinder has 3 types of membership with the following prices:
Membership Plan[2] | Benefits | Price Per Month |
---|---|---|
People Search | Unlimited number of person and location reports | $28.33 |
Reverse Phone Lookup | Unlimited phone reports | $4.99 |
Reverse Email Lookup | Unlimited email address and person reports | $29.73 |
Person reports cover people searches, background checks, public records searches, and dark web scans. More about these services in the next section.
Trial Offers:
You may get a much cheaper 5-day trial popup offer if you hang around a bit more while on the payment page. Similarly, a single report offer may appear, but it's usually about the same cost as the monthly plan.
With a single report offer, you won't be auto-renewed to a monthly subscription, which often turns off future customers. But just the same, you can easily prevent auto-renewal of memberships by canceling your subscription before the trial ends.
Add-ons:
Once a member, you can opt in for these add-on features:[2]
- PDF/Report Monitoring: $3.99/mo
Download search reports in PDF format anytime, while ensuring you are alerted when there are updates/changes in your saved searches. - Dark Web Monitoring: $2.99/mo
TruthFinder will notify you in case it discovers your personal credentials such as passwords and Social Security Numbers on the dark web.
TruthFinder Services
There are many ways you can use TruthFinder. Check out its various services below:
Reverse phone lookup
This is a must-use for identifying unknown callers, verifying contact information, and gathering details about individuals associated with specific phone numbers.
People search
Tracing a long-lost relative? Discover a wealth of information, such as their location history, social network data, property ownership, court records, etc.
Background check
TruthFinder returns a detailed report containing personal information, address history, criminal and traffic records, and more. The range of info provided will depend on the availability of data.
Reverse address lookup
Aside from knowing who the owner is, you can get property records on a particular address and details about its surrounding area, including neighbors.
Public records search
Want to verify some of the things your date told you? TruthFinder can unearth misdemeanors, bankruptcies, and other sensitive data.
Reverse email lookup
Discover the owner's name, photos, videos, and online profiles, among others, by simply providing the email address in question.
Dark web scan
TruthFinder can monitor your SSN, for example, by searching through thousands of data points on the dark web. This may cover peer-to-peer file-sharing networks, forums, chat rooms, etc.
TruthFinder's reliability is often contingent on one's user experience. If you get the results you were looking for, you may find it reliable. But if you don't, you're likely to dismiss it completely. In any case, it has access to multiple sources, which can provide you with meaningful data.
Is TruthFinder Worth It?
TruthFinder is worth a try, especially if you plan to make multiple searches frequently. It shares many good things that other legit people search tools offer, such as:
- a user-friendly interface
- responsive customer support
- billions of data sourced from public websites
But what makes it stand out is the availability of dark web monitoring for $2.99 per month, which is pretty affordable. If you think your details have become too exposed online, this can help detect data breaches and identity theft.
You can also get update alerts for your saved search reports by activating Report Monitoring in your TruthFinder dashboard. For example, you get notified if the person gets a traffic ticket, buys another property, or if there are changes in their public records.
This can be pretty handy if you're keeping an eye on somebody.
During the search process, you will encounter a series of loading screens and progress bars. These give you the impression that they are scraping info from a large stash of sources. But they can take up to 15 minutes, which can drain your patience.
Is TruthFinder Safe?
TruthFinder is generally safe to use. Rest assured, it won't expose your device to computer viruses or system hacks.
The website boasts 256-bit encryption,[3] which is the same protocol used by banks and government agencies for enhanced privacy and data security.
The lawsuit filed on September 11, 2023 by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against TruthFinder was based on complaints filed by multiple customers.[4] One of the main allegations is TruthFinder's illegal marketing strategy of using search engine keywords pertaining to employee and tenant screening.
TruthFinder Customer Reviews
PLATFORM | AVERAGE RATING |
---|---|
ConsumerAffairs[5] | 3.00 out of 5 ★ from 1,667 reviews |
Sitejabber[6] | 2.00 out of 5 ★ from 670 reviews |
Trustpilot[7] | 1.70 out of 5 ★ from 1,347 reviews |
TruthFinder reviews are generally average. Several users were happy with the detailed information they got, while others found their customer service very responsive.
Milly states:
However, some users complained about incomplete or inaccurate data and unwanted subscription charges. Others felt the service was a complete waste of money.
Here's what Ali thinks:
The Truthfinder app is available on both Android and IOS devices. It has a 4.4 rating on Google Play[8] and 4.6 on the App Store[9].
Here are a few things to consider when subscribing to a people search service:
- Accuracy of results
- Purpose
- Cost
- Number of reports
- Customer support
TruthFinder Customer Service
TruthFinder offers various means to help you with your concerns:
- Live customer support: (855) 921-3711) from Mondays to Fridays (no weekend calls); from 7:00am to 4:00pm PST, or 10:00am to 7:00pm EST
- Contact TruthFinder Form (website)
- Help Center (basic info and quick instructions)
Unfortunately, there's no 24/7 chat facility or an email address for customer service.
It is relatively simple to cancel a TruthFinder plan. You can do it on your TruthFinder dashboard by clicking on the Cancel Subscription button located in the lower right corner. Alternatively, a customer service rep can facilitate this request.
TruthFinder Alternatives
Below is a side-by-side comparison of TruthFinder and 2 of its closest competitors, Intelius and Spokeo.
TruthFinder | Intelius | Spokeo | |
---|---|---|---|
Search Options | Search by Name Search by Phone Number Search by Email Address Search by Address | Search by Name Search by Phone Number Search by Address | Search by Name Search by Phone Number Search by Email Address Search by Address Search by Username |
Monthly Fee | Reverse Phone Lookup: $4.99/mo; People Search: $28.33/mo; Reverse Email Lookup: $29.73/mo | People Search: $25.11/mo Address Lookup: $34.95/mo Reverse Phone Lookup: $35.30/mo | |
Number of Reports | |||
Downloadable Reports | |||
Dark Web Monitoring | Yes (for Spokeo memberships with Spokeo Identity Protection benefits) | ||
Mobile App | |||
Customer Service | Phone: (855) 921-3711 Monday - Friday: 7AM - 4PM PT Web Form | Phone: (877) 564-3253 Monday - Friday: 7AM - 4PM PST Web Form | Email: customercare@spokeo.com Phone: (888) 906-0849 Monday - Sunday: 5AM - 8PM PT Online Chat Web Form |
TruthFinder vs. Intelius
TruthFinder and Intelius offer similar features and membership plans, but Intelius' People Search plan is slightly cheaper.
Both platforms provide a 5-day trial with a reverse phone lookup feature, which renews to a monthly subscription. But TruthFinder requires a membership for reverse address lookups.[10]
Additionally, for downloadable PDFs, Intelius charges a one-time fee of $3.99[11], while TruthFinder charges $3.99/mo. That said, TruthFinder's fee includes report monitoring.[2]
TruthFinder vs. Spokeo
Spokeo surpasses TruthFinder in the search process times, but TruthFinder offers more comprehensive reports compared to the basic information from Spokeo.
That said, each service has unique features. For instance, TruthFinder lets you download PDF reports without a time limit and provides update alerts. In contrast, Spokeo includes a reverse username lookup.
Additionally, Spokeo reports typically cost less than a dollar and usually come with a 7-day free trial. Although TruthFinder has a similar trial offer, it is less prominently advertised.
Bottom Line
TruthFinder is a legit background check service that helps you find the truth about someone. The dark web monitoring feature may also be worth a try, especially if you have high online activity.
But if you're looking for a perfect tool, this may not be it. Or perhaps, any people search tool, for that matter. Nonetheless, their dedicated customer care team can compensate for any negative issues you may encounter on their platform.
References
- ^ Federal Trade Commission. Employer Background Checks and Your Rights, Retrieved 4/25/2024
- ^ TruthFinder. TruthFinder Pricing & Membership Information, Retrieved 07/21/2024
- ^ TruthFinder. Is TruthFinder Anonymous?, Retrieved 4/25/2024
- ^ Federal Trade Commission. Truthfinder Complaint, Retrieved 4/17/2024
- ^ Consumer Affairs. TruthFinder Reviews, Retrieved 6/18/2024
- ^ Sitejabber.com. TruthFinder.com, Retrieved 6/18/2024
- ^ Trustpilot. TruthFinder, Retrieved 6/18/2024
- ^ Google Play. TruthFinder Background Check, Retrieved 4/25/2024
- ^ App Store. TruthFinder Search, Retrieved 4/25/2024
- ^ Truthfinder. How to See Who Lives at an Address, Retrieved 4/16/2024
- ^ Intelius. Intelius Pricing & Membership Information, Retrieved 4/25/2024
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