Background Investigation: Why Database Results Have to Be Verified
Case Study: Background Investigations
Background
An attorney in a family court matter requested a background investigation on an individual involved in the case. The individual held a state-issued professional license, and that person's history and standing were relevant to the proceeding.
Process
I ran the standard research: identity verification, address history, court records, and professional licensing. The commercial investigative databases returned entries about the individual's license that did not look right.
Before reporting them, I checked the records directly with the state licensing agency. The agency's own records did not match the database entries. The report gave the verified information, identified the database errors, and attached the agency record as the source.
Takeaway
The attorney received a report that was accurate on a point where an unverified database search would have been wrong. Commercial databases are a starting point. They combine records from many sources and sometimes attach the wrong record to the wrong person, so anything that matters to a case should be confirmed with the agency or court that holds the original.
To discuss a similar matter, contact Jennifer Cormack Consulting at (813) 412-5230 for a free consultation.
