InfoTracer Looks Different After You Actually Use It (2026)
My name is Ethan Caldwell. I'm from New York, and I've been writing about online privacy and digital footprints for about six years now.
A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw an ad for InfoTracer. The tagline caught my attention: "Find anyone's public records instantly." I'd been getting some weird spam calls from numbers I didn't recognize, and I was curious to see if a service like this could actually help me figure out who was behind them.
So I decided to give it a shot.
I typed in a phone number, hit search, and waited. Nothing happened—at least not on InfoTracer's site. Instead, I was redirected to BeenVerified. The whole report was generated there, not on InfoTracer.
That got me curious. I started digging deeper, and here's what I found.
My First Experience with InfoTracer
I'll be honest—I wasn't expecting the redirect. It felt a little misleading at first. Like, why is InfoTracer advertising itself as a people-search tool if it just sends you somewhere else?
But after a few minutes of poking around, I realized the site is basically a lead-generation platform. It collects your search query, then passes you off to BeenVerified to actually fulfill the request.
So if you're hoping to find a unique database on InfoTracer itself, you won't. It's just a middleman.
That doesn't mean it's a scam. BeenVerified is a legitimate company with real customer support and a real privacy policy. But the redirect is something you should know about before you type in your credit card info.
What Is InfoTracer?
InfoTracer.com is a people-search website that's been around for over 20 years. It claims to provide access to more than 5 billion public records, including criminal records, court records, marriage status, email addresses, phone numbers, past addresses, education and employment history, and even dark web searches for social media accounts .
But here's the thing—from what I experienced, InfoTracer doesn't actually hold its own database of information. When I searched, the report came from BeenVerified.
The bottom line: InfoTracer doesn't seem to maintain its own records database. It acts as a gateway to BeenVerified, a legitimate people-search service that's been around for years.
Is InfoTracer Legit? What Trustpilot and Reviews Say
This is where things get interesting. InfoTracer's overall reputation is mixed, and the reviews tell a pretty clear story.
What Trustpilot Says:
InfoTracer is rated around 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot , which sounds great at first glance. The company has over 3,000 positive reviews and an A+ BBB rating . But here's the catch—many of the positive reviews aren't actually praising the service itself.
One reviewer put it bluntly: "My 5 star review is for Daniel's service not infotracer itself" . Another said: "Customer service was quick and effective when I cancelled my subscription" . The pattern is consistent—people leave good reviews for customer support, not for the actual search results.
What Reddit and Other Users Say:
On Sitejabber, InfoTracer has a 3.1-star rating from nearly 30,000 reviews . The breakdown is telling:
- 29% gave 5 stars
- 44% gave 1 star
That's a huge gap. Almost half of users are extremely unhappy.
One reviewer said: "There was a huge lowering of information and baiting more information with higher fees...what little information that was given can be obtained by simply googling the individual/business name...so basically scam level" .
Another user reported: "InfoTracer fell flat on its face when almost every other service on our list correctly identified the individual" . Independent testing confirms that while some searches work well, others come up completely empty.
A reviewer on SmartCustomer said: "It wasn't accurate at all. Said it was a 2024 vehicle. It's actually a 2021" .
Another common complaint: "I was not aware that the report I ordered was a subscription" . Users feel misled by the trial pricing and subscription model .
The Bottom Line on Reviews:
Trustpilot gives InfoTracer a high rating, but those reviews are often about customer service, not results. Reddit and independent reviews paint a much more mixed picture. The service works for some people, but the 44% 1-star rating on Sitejabber is a clear warning sign.
Is InfoTracer Free?
No. InfoTracer offers a $2.95 trial for 7 days of access. After that, it renews at $29.95 per month .
Here's what people are complaining about:
Multiple BBB complaints mention unexpected charges after the trial ended. One user said: "I just got an email about a $24.95 charge that I never consented to, completely out of the blue. No warning that I was going to suddenly be charged $25 by this company."
Another user reported: "Signed up for the free trial. AFTER they took my money, I tried to search again and up popped a message saying 'Unfortunately, this service is not available from your location.' I tried to submit cancellation so I won't be billed monthly and after I hit submit with all info filled in, the same message popped up."
What InfoTracer says: According to their support team, "At the time of enrollment, the customer agreed to our billing policy, which indicated after the seven-day trial is completed, additional billing would follow on a monthly basis. A confirmation email was sent detailing the same."
The pattern is clear: The trial is cheap, but the auto-renewal is where people get caught. Some users report cancellation issues, while others say they found help through support. One user noted, "Customer service was quick and effective when I cancelled my subscription."
What About Accuracy?
This is another area where InfoTracer gets mixed reviews.
InfoTracer's own responses to complaints acknowledge that "we cannot guarantee complete or accurate data" because "the availability of public records can vary based on multiple factors, including state regulations."
One user explained: "I understand it's not Trustpilot's fault that public records are not always up-to-date and I do take that into consideration." But another user said the service provided "very little information that can be obtained by simply googling."
So yes, the data is real—but it's not always up-to-date or complete. And the platform has rules to prevent misuse, such as stalking or discrimination, but they can't always enforce these rules.
The Cheaper Alternatives to InfoTracer
Since InfoTracer redirects to BeenVerified, and BeenVerified is expensive, here are more affordable options:
Spokeo
If price is the deciding factor, Spokeo.com is usually the one that wins. Its trial runs under a dollar for a week of access, which is a fraction of what InfoTracer charges once the redirect to BeenVerified kicks in. It's also been in the people-search business since 2006, making it one of the longer-running names in the space, and it casts a wide net — upward of 120 social and dating platforms — so it's a decent pick if you're trying to confirm whether someone has an active dating profile or just want a snapshot of what's publicly tied to their name. Spokeo won't give you the depth of a criminal-records specialist, but for a quick, low-cost look, it's hard to beat.
TruthFinder
This (TruthFinder) one leans harder into criminal and court records, which makes it the better choice if that's specifically what you're after — though it comes at a higher subscription cost than Spokeo. Worth knowing going in: TruthFinder, along with its affiliated company Instant Checkmate, paid a $5.8 million FTC penalty in September 2023 for overstating the accuracy of its reports and for marketing background checks for employment and tenant screening without meeting the legal requirements that come with that use case (full details in the FTC section below).
PeopleLooker
Positioned as the no-frills option — a simpler interface at a lower price point than the criminal-records specialists. It covers the basics well: contact details, address history, and general public records. If you don't need exhaustive criminal-record depth and just want something straightforward and inexpensive, PeopleLooker fills that gap reasonably well.
Try Free Methods First
Before spending any money, try these free tools:
Google – Type the person's full name in quotes, like "John Smith" + their city or state. Sometimes public profiles show up.
Bing – Microsoft's search engine. Indexes the web differently than Google.
DuckDuckGo – Privacy-focused search engine. Doesn't track you.
TruePeopleSearch – As mentioned above, this is genuinely 100% free for US name, phone, and address lookups.
How to Opt Out of InfoTracer
If you want your info removed, here's the quick version:
- Go to infotracer.com/optout
- Search for your name and state
- Check all matching profiles
- Enter your email and complete the CAPTCHA
- Click the verification link sent to your email
- Check back in 24–48 hours to confirm removal
Processing takes 3–7 business days. If your data gets refreshed from public records later, it may reappear – so check every few months.
Do I Need to Opt Out of Other Sites Too?
Yes. According to privacy experts, removing yourself from a single broker isn't enough. InfoTracer sources data from multiple public and commercial databases, so your profile may be re-indexed if those sources are refreshed. Repeating the opt-out every six months is a reasonable precaution.
Also note that opting out of InfoTracer does not affect official court records, which are maintained by government agencies. To remove criminal records from government databases, you would need to pursue expungement through the court system.
Here's something you need to know before using any of these tools.
Most people-search services are not FCRA-compliant consumer reporting agencies. That means you can't legally use them for employment background checks, tenant screening, credit decisions, or insurance underwriting. They're for personal curiosity only – not official purposes. If you're an employer, a landlord, or anyone making decisions that affect someone's life, these tools are not for you. Period.
Why does this matter?
Because people have gotten into serious trouble for misusing these tools. In September 2023, the FTC announced a $5.8 million settlement with TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate. They were caught sending notifications claiming someone had a criminal record when it was just a traffic ticket . They also advertised "the MOST ACCURATE information available" while using unverified third-party data, and their "Remove" and "Flag as Inaccurate" buttons didn't actually work – the remove button only hid the info from that user's view, not the actual report .
This was the second FTC action against Instant Checkmate – they had a previous 2014 settlement for similar FCRA violations .
Bottom line: Use these tools for personal searches. For official background checks, go with an FCRA-compliant service.
The Verdict
InfoTracer is a legitimate redirect service that sends you to BeenVerified for full reports. The redirect to BeenVerified means you're dealing with a real company, but that doesn't solve the billing issues or accuracy complaints.
Here's the problem: The $2.95 trial is cheap, but the $29.95 monthly auto-renewal is where people get caught. And since InfoTracer redirects to BeenVerified, you're paying BeenVerified's prices without getting any unique value from InfoTracer itself.
My recommendation: If you want to check what's publicly out there, skip InfoTracer and go directly to Spokeo. It's cheaper (under a dollar for the trial) and searches more platforms. If you need comprehensive background checks, TruthFinder is better. If you want free options, start with Google, Bing, and TruePeopleSearch.
If you want to remove your info from InfoTracer, follow the opt-out process above—it's free and takes about 10–15 minutes.
Disclaimer:
This is my personal take based on what I found while researching these services. I'm not affiliated with any company mentioned here.
Pricing, policies, and accuracy can change, so always double-check the official site before signing up. My goal here is to share helpful info, not to push any particular service.
If you need a background check for a job, rental, or any official purpose, use an FCRA-compliant service and talk to a legal professional if you're unsure about your rights.
