A search for criminal convictions at the appropriate
county courts, covering a seven year period for California
and longer for all other states. Reveals felony and
related misdemeanor convictions. Records can include:
case numbers, offense and disposition dates, charge,
type of charge, disposition, and sentence. Courts are
searched directly at the source via in person, court
Internet websites or direct connection into the courts
index. Common names can cause delay in verifying criminal
activity, files have to be pulled so identifiers, such
as date of birth, middle name and driver’s license
number, can be checked. Typographical, data entry and/or
court filing errors can cause accuracy issues. Also,
running a partial or “nickname” (i.e. running
Bob instead of Robert) can create accuracy issues. It
is recommended that all names, including alias and maiden
names be run at all jurisdictions for a seven year period.
This will maximize the search results and accuracy.
Verifies a person’s educational history by contacting
the institutions of attendance or through online verification
systems. Information can include: attendance, date of
graduation, major studies, GPA and degree earned. Verifying
education can help eliminate falsified or overstated
credentials. This verification can be delayed if institutions
do not promptly return calls or if verifications are
only done by mail. The accuracy of the verification
can be affected if the applicant went to school under
a different name than stated on the application or if
the applicant has recently graduated and the institution
has not yet updated their records.
Verifies a person’s past and/or present work experience
by contacting employers/supervisors directly or through
automated verification systems. Provides information
which can include: dates of employment, position, salary,
reason for leaving, eligibility for rehire, disciplinary
action taken, dependability, and general work duties.
Verifying employment can let employers know if applicant
is being honest about length of employment. This verification
can be delayed if employers do not promptly return calls
or if verifications are only done by mail. In some cases
only limited information can be verified based on employer’s
policies.
A search for criminal convictions through the appropriate
courts, the courts searched vary by country and by the
information provided by the applicant. Courts are searched
directly at the source via in person, court Internet
websites or direct connection into the courts index.
Records can include: case numbers, offense and disposition
dates, charge, type of charge, disposition, and sentence.
Common names can cause delay in verifying criminal activity,
files have to be pulled so identifiers, such as date
of birth and middle name can be checked. International
Criminal searches have longer turn around times, ranging
from 7-14 business days.
Verification of prior military experience, as well as
branch and dates of service, by contacting United States
Military Records or by contacting the personnel office
at the location where an applicant was stationed. If
the location of service and contact number are not provided
there can be delays, this requires the applicant to
fill out and submit Form DD-214.
Search of the state Bureau of Motor Vehicle records
for driver information. These records vary by state,
providing different information. Information can include
license status, license class, issue date, expiration
date, violations, suspensions, licensee address, date
of birth and physical description. The MVR record is
the best source for verifying an applicant’s DOB.
The number of years shown on driving reports varies
by state, so criminal traffic offenses may not always
appear on the MVR report; only the suspension/cancellation
will show. The MVR report can be affected if the license
number provided by the applicant is an ID card number
or if it is not formatted correctly for the provided
state.
Questioning an applicant’s personal or professional
references by phone interview. Can verify applicant’s
reliability, criminal past, alcohol or drug abuse and
character. Defines image of applicant by those who really
know him/her. Professional references are more credible
than personal references. This verification can be delayed
if references do not promptly return calls.
Search of sexual offender databases or registries. The
registries are provided by government entities and are
searched by name and are available on a national, statewide
and local levels. Information provided varies by state,
it can include: type of offenses, known aliases, date
of birth, addresses, and whether or not registrants
are in violation of registration requirements. Not all
states have a registry and not all sex offender’s
register. States are searched based on address information
found on the application, in the Social Security trace,
and in the credit report. If the applicant is a registered
sex offender in a state not provided on the application
or found in a SSN trace the information will not be
found.
Search of credit bureau files to provide history of
the applicant’s names and addresses as they originate
from credit headers. This also validates the number’s
authenticity, as well as year and place of issuance.
It is used as a criterion in checking criminal history.
Search may provide last known addresses and aliases,
possible date of birth, year and state of Social Security
number issuance, covering a seven year period. Young
applicants and individuals new to country, who might
not have developed a credit history yet, might not have
a SSN history. Typographical and /or transposition of
numbers at the time a Social Security Number is used
by a creditor to initiate a credit inquiry can create
errors in the data. Interpretation of data is critical;
although the search can uncover evidence of identity
theft, fraud must not be assumed without further investigation
such as validation directly through the Social Security
Administration.
