On February 27th 2023, The Texas Tribune reported that the Texas DPS (Department of Public Safety) accidentally sent more than 3,000 drivers licenses to an organized crime group which was targeting Asian Texas. Read the full article here: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/02/27/texas-drivers-license-theft-dps/ That’s a lot to unpack! How did this happen, how did they discover it, and what […]
Category Archives: Background Checking
Data Classification: Public Data
May 9, 2023 – 11:47 am
So far in this series of Data Classification articles, we’ve talked about each type of data at a glance and have gone in depth on Consumer Marketing Data. This time we’re going to take a deep dive into Public Data. Though the name implies that the data is publicly available (and therefore unrestricted), when we […]
What are the different types of data?
April 24, 2023 – 10:35 am
In our line of work, there are many classifications of data available for consumption. In this article we’ll outline each of the major types at a high level. In the subsequent articles, we’ll dive deep into each of them to talk about the nuances involved with each. We should also make it clear that there […]
Human Trafficking Offenses in Background Checks
April 10, 2023 – 9:37 am
Within the last year, the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) was revised to include a new section, 15 US Code § 1681c-3, titled “Adverse information in cases of trafficking” What this section states is that when a victim of human trafficking commits a crime in connection with their trafficking, that crime may no longer […]
CRAs vs Background Screeners?
April 4, 2023 – 11:44 am
So what’s the difference between a CRA and a Background Screener, anyway? Well, at the highest level, a CRA is a Consumer Reporting Agency (sometimes called a Credit Reporting Agency – not to be confused with a credit bureau). They follow very specific guidelines around disclosing certain information and notifying the consumer of any adverse […]
Criminal Records without Identifiers
March 30, 2023 – 9:56 am
Public records are just that – they’re records which belong to the public interest. Court and incarceration records are no exception to that. It’s in the interest of the people to know who has been arrested, when, where, and why. Not just to keep the people safe from crime, but to keep the people informed […]
What is a National Criminal Database?
July 14, 2022 – 1:56 pm
In our last article, “What is an SSN Trace”, we talked about the importance of a SSN Trace for the background checking process. It helps identify aliases and addresses that the applicant may have used but did not report on their application. This time, we’ll talk about the next step in the background checking process: […]
What is an SSN Trace?
June 2, 2022 – 9:31 am
When an employer conducts a background check on an applicant, there are a handful of steps that must be followed to ensure accuracy. Part of that process is what’s called an SSN Trace.
The importance of credentialing: A case study
August 30, 2019 – 2:28 pm
Part of our credentialing process is to make sure that there is one “responsible party” on file. This is the person who signs on the dotted line saying that they will not abuse the service, that they’ll pay the bill, and all that fun stuff.
How long does it take for a new address to appear in our data?
May 5, 2019 – 12:24 pm
Believe it or not, this is a question we don’t get asked very much – and you’d think we would! It’s a very important measure of data quality. If I move to a new house today, how long will it take for that new address to appear on USInfoSearch? What sorts of changes might cause […]
