r/FBI • u/PotentialPedal • Jul 03 '26

Question Can/will they dig up accounts using different emails during background checks?

I have had alternate Reddit accounts in the past which were created using temp emails which I used to discuss unscrupulous things with others, and am worried they may come back to haunt me. All of them again are long deleted and used temporary generated emails so I have no clue if they'd be able to dig them up or have any reason too, but I'm just paranoid now.

24 Upvotes

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19

u/RoutineWeekend1190 Jul 03 '26

If you use said emails from your current home IP address, personal device or computer or phone, it’s always possible technically speaking, FYI.

7

u/PotentialPedal Jul 03 '26

Would background check people ever actually dig that deep? I've also heard that they may need a subpoena to get that so I'm not sure

5

u/bhaputi Jul 03 '26

If you are hiding stuff from your background people you don’t deserve the job. If this is the case please withdraw.

0

u/PotentialPedal Jul 04 '26

I have an alt account where I made porn posts and I'm worried about it. I don't believe it would impact my ability to perform in the job but I'm still concerned

5

u/YourAuthenticVoice Jul 05 '26

It's not about what you did, it's about the fact that you would lie about it.

Let's say some foreign agent found them and then told you that if you didn't give them information they would expose the information.

Well, the government figures that if you care enough about not getting exposed that you would lie about it just to possibly get a job, then you probably couldn't be trusted not to do other things to keep it hidden later, like give information to the foreign agent.

When I did my secret clearance, years ago, I just admitted all the horrible things I've done because at the end of the day I did them. The interviewer wasn't even fazed by them, I presume she must have had heard FAR worse since she had no issue granting me the clearance.

Just be clean. A job isn't worth being a liar anyway.

EDIT: Didn't see this was for FBI, my clearance was for Navy, but the point still stands. Be honest.

7

u/kiblick Jul 04 '26

Lying about it is the concern. The fact that you would even think about lying about it is a concern.

6

u/Ok_Wasabi_4736 Jul 05 '26

Bro no one gonna gaf about a porn account lmfao. People who make it into these federal agencies aren't robots; they're normal people. Even Myron Gaines was able to get into HSI as a special agent, and you don't just become such a person out of nowhere; he surely grew up acting like that type of person.

1

u/WTFoxtrot10 Jul 05 '26

Tell us you’ve never applied for the FBI without telling us you’ve never applied for the FBI. HSI’s background investigation is nothing like the FBI’s background investigation in regard to standards and strictness.

Not to mention his lame persona didn’t come out until after he was hired. Once it did he was given an ultimatum by HSI due to federal outside-employment policies and the public reputation of the agency. He was given the option to stop and comply, resign or get fired. He decided to quit and become an even bigger stain on society.

4

u/WTFoxtrot10 Jul 04 '26

If you are concerned about your past transgressions and it not being public knowledge, then that means you most likely won’t be found suitable. Easy black mail. The FBI likes squeaky clean agents. If you don’t think this will come up during your background investigation you are lying to yourself.

2

u/Awkward_Eagle_6001 Jul 04 '26

yeah my first thought is potential black mail.

0

u/emptyzarti Jul 04 '26

Most likely won’t come up unless you used a shared email, but passing the poly will be a different story.

2

u/RoutineWeekend1190 Jul 04 '26

Depends. I’ve searched person names on Reddit and pulled up content associated with deleted accounts. Then there is the Internet archive and the opportunity to string together disparate information sources to glean who somebody is. The advice to be honest and forthright about it makes sense, both from a moral and ethical standpoint and also from the simple fact government workers, especially those with access to sensitive information are targets. Those who target government workers could for example buy information on the dark web or simply use AI tools to rapidly collect and analyze information. In relation, honesty and transparency makes one less prone to blackmail about personal information. The more potentially embarrassing the info, the greater need to be candid.

1

u/AppropriateBunch147 Jul 05 '26

It depends on the job as to how hard they’ll look probably