Why The Internet Is Failing Property Managers Doing Background Screenings

Criminals Are Infiltrating Your Apartment Property

Criminals are becoming more savvy and creative as they continually find ways to beat the system. How does this affect you? As you receive hundreds upon hundreds of housing applications a year, one of your first steps would be to conduct some form of background screening on the applicant. Sounds easy enough to just jump on Google and search their name, right? But all you will find from a google search would be personal information such as date of birth and phone number that may be incorrect. After finding nothing exciting from your Google search, you decide this applicant is good to go and no further background screening is needed. Have you done this and later regretted not doing further screening on a applicant?

Internet vs. Interweb

If you are searching for an individual and you Google search their name, you will find the name, a possible address, and maybe a phone number. But what if someone doesn't want their real information to be found? They will go great lengths to hide it and make sure it can't be discovered. As easy as 1 - 2 - 3, you can go on www.myfamilytree.com and remove your name from the search engine. This allows someone to use aliases and any other fake information when submitting a housing application. But what many people don't know is even if you remove your information from Google and other Internet search engines, that doesn't mean it has been erased from the interweb. The Internet is simply an outside layer of an onion, making the interweb the core of it all. Statistically, only three percent of the actual Internet is used.

Vetting Perspective Tenants

When you receive a housing application, you utilize your third party “checker” and receive the basic information you’re used to seeing. You may even go above and beyond preforming your own criminal docket search on an applicant person utilizing their name, date of birth, and social security number. A docket search may come back clear, show prior arrests, or even show prior addresses. But beyond that, you're limited to what information you can find. At this point, you may be wondering what other information can be found by just a name and birth date. The extensive amount of information that can be found include: Email addresses, aliases, employment history, languages spoken, any social media usernames, photos, criminal records, employers, address summary from every city and county, driver's license information, utilities, professional affiliations, professional licenses, bankruptcy records, liens, court judgments, current property deeds, past property deeds, property foreclosures, property assessments, evictions, current vehicle information, past vehicle information, global watch lists, US business affiliations, UCC filings, US corporate affiliations, aircraft records, pilot licenses, voter registrations, hunting permits, weapon permits, relatives, associates, neighbors, and even a neighbor's phone number.

All of that information, and we have not even touched what information can be gathered from social media.

Does the information matter?

The Valentis Investigation & Intelligence Research branch has been assisting local, state, and federal agencies for years in the ability to research, track, and locate individuals for a variety of reasons. Just last year in 2020, our services assisted with the researching and tracking for a federal task force operation that netted over twenty arrests which totaled over 350 incarceration years, with the addition of seized cash and weapons. The information we gathered about individuals was directly from a client's housing community. The client was able to begin eviction processes on the individuals involved in order to improve the safety in the community.

Additionally in 2020, a major political party committee requested our services to investigate and research any individuals that have violent interactions at polling locations throughout the region. We were able to compile a large list of potential threats and narrowed it down to three names being credible potential threats to the client. This information was provided to local enforcement and the client was able to put additional measures in place. Our services allowed the client to operate with zero issues with the assistance of local enforcement.

What we can do for you

With our Investigation & Intelligence Research services, a normal background check is just the tip of the iceberg. If there is information to be found, we WILL find it. Comprehensive background checks are a thing of the past and the proper vetting of applicants clearly demonstrate the reduce of crime in apartment communities. From applicants seeking housing to applicants seeking employment, a thorough background screening is imperative to keeping your property safe and operations safe.

Direct Example Of Intelligence & Research Used At An Apartment Property

A property manager came across a Facebook post that they considered threatening in nature to their employees. Without hesitation, this property manager contacted us and only provided a Facebook username. With just a username, we traced the user through the interweb and found the user to be a known juvenile gang member that lived close to the property. Once a complete investigation was completed, we turned over all of the evidence to the jurisdictional police department. All of this information included the juvenile's real name, address, and other social media accounts. From a nickname to a full detail report of personal information, Valentis Investigation & Intelligence Research pinned down a threat made on social media and ensured the safety of the property manager's employees.

Conclusion

Valentis Investigation & Intelligence Research can change the way you do business. Information can be one of your most valuable assets, if you have the right information. This information can prevent and reduce crime in apartment properties, and assist in the eviction process of current tenants. From small apartment properties to full scale housing communities, the value of real information can prove to be vital.