What’s The FCRA & Why Does It Matter?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) was put in place to safeguard Americans from individuals and entities that might misuse or abuse public records information in ways that could negatively impact their quality of life. From employment opportunities to credit checks, tenant screenings to insurance policy issuance, the FCRA requires entities accessing your information to notify you of their actions, and to fully disclose the source of the records used to render their decision. Individuals and entities which provide public records to educational institutions, insurance and banking agencies, employers and landlords (just to list a few examples) are called Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs), and are required to abide by the rules and guidelines contained within the FCRA.

PeopleWhiz is not a CRA (Consumer Reporting Agency). Due to this, you are not permitted to use our site for any of the following purposes:

Job Screening

Conducting interviews for an open job position? Or maybe you’re considering someone for a promotion, job reassignment, or simply making an employee retention decision… no problem at all, unless you’re using PeopleWhiz as a resource. Our background checks are not meant for anything related to employment or job screening - in fact it’s against the law to do so, fair warning!

Business Transactions Initiated by an Individual Customer, Patron or Consumer

Reviewing customer accounts to determine if the individual is still meeting the original contract’s terms is a common business practice - but it’s not something you can use PeopleWhiz for. Steer clear, ladies & gents!

Qualifying an Individual for a Credit Line or an Insurance Policy

You cannot use PeopleWhiz to assess an individual’s credit or insurance risk. If you need to determine someone’s eligibility for either of these things, please utilize an official Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA).

Tenant Screening

It doesn’t matter whether you’re screening a potential tenant for a residential or commercial property, the law is clear on this: you need to use a CRA. PeopleWhiz is not a CRA and cannot be used as such.

Hiring Household Workers

This falls under the same rule as job screening; you need to utilize an official CRA if you want to check on someone for this purpose. Whether it’s a babysitter, a hospice worker, a gardner, a personal chef,etc. - anyone working at your home should not be background checked with PeopleWhiz. It is a violation of our Terms & Conditions as well as the law.

Educational Qualification & Admissions

PeopleWhiz cannot be used, under any circumstances, to determine someone’s eligibility for an educational program, university admission, scholarship etc.

We reserve the right to terminate the account of any member misusing PeopleWhiz’s service for the above outlined reasons. Additionally, we may report violators to the appropriate law enforcement agency, and you may face criminal penalties. All that to say, crime doesn’t pay. Just play by the rules and enjoy PeopleWhiz for it’s intended purpose.

So don’t be scared to try PeopleWhiz out. There’s no need to hesitate, but definitely play it safe! We want you to benefit from our service and steer clear of anything that could potentially get you in hot water. If you’re concerned you’re treading into a grey area, or wondering whether you need to talk to a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA), please visit:

Note: PeopleWhiz is NOT affiliated with any of the above listed CRAs. Links to their websites are provided only as a customer courtesy.

Still concerned about legality of use?

If you’re still worried that your intended use of PeopleWhiz is 100% legal, please visit our complete Parameters of Use page. If you’re still in doubt after that, please feel free to contact us. We’re ready and waiting for your call 24/7.