How can a company determine which records match the applicant and which do not?
You should compare and match up as much of the following information as possible between details listed on the record, observations about the applicant, and details noted on their identification card and application: Name, Address, Gender, Race, Description, Offense Date relative to the applicant's age, and Social Security Number (if available). You can then make routine observations using the above information as a guideline. The steps below outline how comparing record information to observations about the applicant can assist in this process.
Applicant’s Name - Compare full name (first, middle, and last) of the applicant to the name on the record. Check for variations of the legal name, such as nicknames (for example Bill / Will / William). Make sure to pay close attention to the alias names section provided on the criminal record, as one of the aliases may match the applicant’s legal name, nickname, or maiden name.
Date of Birth (DOB) Comparison - Compare the DOB on the applicant’s government-issued ID to the DOB on the criminal record.
Date of Birth in Correlation to Offense Date - Make sure that the applicant’s DOB and date of the offense make sense. For example: if the applicant was born in 1980 but the date of the criminal offense on the record is 1979 or 1984, chances are this record does not match the applicant.
Gender/Sex - If the record found was for a male and the applicant is female, chances are this record doesn’t match the applicant.
Observing and Comparing Race - Observe the applicant’s race and compare to the race description on the criminal record.
Address Comparisons - Review the addresses listed on the applicant’s credit report (if available) and/or the application they complete and compare those to the address listed on the criminal record.
Picture - Check the record’s picture (when available) and observe if this matches the applicant’s appearance (or possible former appearance). Applicant’s photo ID could be compared as well.
Social Security Number - If there is a full or partial SSN on the record, compare it to the applicants.
If, by using the above methods, it is determined that none of the records returned match the applicant, the methods used to draw this conclusion should be documented by the customer/company for filing purposes. It is beneficial to maintain detailed documentation of the verification efforts used in determining whether there was a match in the records found or not. If it found that a record(s) matches the applicant, the details of the record type can be compared to the company’s criminal policy. The matching record(s) may or may not be an offense type, disposition type, or date type that is listed in the policy as grounds for declining the application or taking adverse action.
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