Background check websites often fail to find criminal records NBC Chicago [Video]

From a dog walker to a date to a babysitter, many Americans look for reassurance that the person they are letting into their homes or lives is who they say they are.

To help find that reassurance, many turn to online background check companies looking for quick answers.

But just how accurate are these background checks?

PJ Randhawa of NBC 5 Responds tried three of the most popular consumer background check websites to see what they were able to find, and more importantly, what they missed.

It’s hard to be mysterious these days.

“I know you’re born in Canada and you have a pug, right? And you did your graduate work or undergrad at DePaul, right?” University of Chicago Associated Professor Marshini Chetty said.

Chetty specializes in online privacy and security, and had done her homework on me through a quick Google search, learning a lot.

But not everything she found, including my address, was accurate.

For a small fee however, many consumer background check …