For many reasons, people may need to verify the criminal history of someone they know. They will then search online for a free background check. They will discover that it is almost impossible to conduct any of the background checks for free online. 

Although some websites claim they offer this service free of charge, you will be charged for the actual services you need. It works like this: You can run a background check online easily for free or paid to learn a bit about someone or find out if the site has any information about them. 

They will then ask for a fee to obtain an address, telephone number, criminal record, and any other information that you might be interested in. You are free to conduct background checks on anyone you choose. 

What information about someone can you get without spending any money? You won't have the same recourse as larger companies, but you can still learn some information about an individual by using other websites.

Search engines can be used to search for information on the person you are looking up. Although this can provide a lot of information, you won't find any criminal records with the search engines. You should put quotations around the name of the person so that the search engine gives only results for that name.

You can also use social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to find out more about your person of interest. You may be able to find their phone number, address, and other details if they have a profile. These profiles can be locked down, or out of date.

You can do a background check for free online. However, if you want to view the criminal history of the person it might be worth paying a fee. You may find the information you need by simply searching Google or on social media.

As many people share the same name as someone else in the world, make sure you're not reading about the wrong person. You could be judging someone if you read about the wrong person. You should be careful when doing a background check. If you require a criminal record, expect to pay a small fee.