Dec 7, 2025 7:48:17 PM

Background Check vs Identity Verification

What’s the Difference and Which One Do You Need for Roommates?

When you’re choosing a roommate — whether from Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or a rental app — one of the most important steps you can take is verifying who they are and whether it’s safe to live with them. But many people confuse two very different tools:

Identity verification

and

Background checks

Both are important, but they serve completely different purposes.

And depending on your situation, you might need one — or both.

Let’s break down the difference clearly so you know exactly what to use when screening a potential roommate.

What Is Identity Verification? (And Why It Matters First)

Identity verification answers a simple but crucial question:

Is this person who they say they are?

This is the foundation of roommate screening. There’s no point running a background check if the person is using a fake identity.

Identity verification checks:

Legal name
Government-issued ID authenticity
Biometric match (selfie vs ID photo)
Liveness detection (to prevent fake or AI-created photos)
Geolocation of verification
Document manipulation or forgery

This helps prevent:

Catfishing for rentals
Fake roommate scams
People using stolen photos
People hiding their identity or past

If you found your roommate online, identity verification should always come before a background check.

What Is a Background Check?

A background check looks into someone’s history, including:

Criminal records
Arrest history
Violent offenses
Fraud and theft
Court cases
Eviction history
Public records

A background check tells you whether someone has a past that could impact your safety or living situation.

While identity verification answers “Who is this person?”

A background check answers “What has this person done?”

Do You Need Both?

In most online roommate situations: Yes.

Here’s why:

You can’t trust an online profile.
Fake identities make background checks meaningless.
Verifying identity first ensures the background check belongs to the correct person.
A clean identity check builds trust; a background check adds safety.

Together, they give you full clarity before living with someone you barely know.

Why This Matters for Facebook Marketplace & Craigslist Roommates

These platforms do not verify ANYTHING.

Anyone can create:

A fake name
Fake photos
Fake location
Fake profile history

Identity verification ensures you’re not being scammed.

Background checks ensure you’re not putting yourself in danger.

How VerifiID Makes the Process Easy

VerifiID separates identity verification and background checks so you can choose exactly what you need:

Identity Verification

✔ Government ID check

✔ Biometric match

✔ Liveness detection

✔ Geolocation check

✔ Instant pass/fail result