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Glossary

Read on for definitions and insights to some commonly used industry terms.

  • Address Lookup

    Address lookup helps find the address of a specific individual or can find property information of a specific address, including current owner.

  • Address Report

    Address reports can be helpful in assessing a particular neighborhood or locating a person of interest.

  • Adjudication

    Adjudication is the legal process of resolving a dispute between public and/or private parties.

  • Assessor Records

    Assessors records are related to property values in a county.

  • Asset Repossession

    Asset repossession occurs when an individual fails to pay off debt.

  • Asset Search

    An asset search is basically an in-depth investigation to determine financial worth.

  • Bankruptcy

    Bankruptcy is a legal proceeding that helps people settle their debt and helps creditors recover their property.

  • Birth Certificate

    A birth certificate is a vital state record that serves as a registration of a person’s birth and their proof of identity.

  • Business Asset Search

    Business asset searches are used to uncover any and all property belonging to an organization.

  • Business Credit Report

    A business credit report rates a business on past financial transactions with a score from 0 to 100.

  • Business Entity Search

    A business entity search provides info on a company, including its owners and history.

  • Car Repossession

    Car repossession can happen when a person fails to make a payment and the lender is then given the right to take the vehicle.

  • Case Docket

    A case docket is the record of proceedings in a court case.

  • Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

    Chapter 7 bankruptcy is the most common type of bankruptcy.

  • Corporate Risk

    Corporate risk is a type of risk that combines a company’s financial and asset outlook to determine how impactful a particular project could be.

  • Corporate Risk Management

    Corporate risk management is the process businesses take to identify their potential risks and come up with a strategy to curb them.

  • Criminal Background Check

    criminal background check shows an individual’s criminal records.

  • Data Alerts
  • Data Append

    Data appending is the practice of adding data from a different source to an existing data file.

  • Data Scrubbing

    Data scrubbing is a way to erase unreliable or duplicate information usually from a database.

  • Data Search Collection Agency

    A data search collection agency researches & compiles personal info like background checks, criminal records & financial history.

  • DEA License

    A DEA license is a license issued by the Drug Enforcement Agency for a doctor to prescribe controlled substances.

  • Death Certificate

    A death certificate is an official record to prove than an individual has died and is often needed to close the deceased’s affairs.

  • Debt Collection Agency

    A debt collection agency is tasked with recovering unpaid debt from consumers.

  • Deeds

    Deeds are legal documents that the right of ownership from one party to another.

  • DMV Records

    Every driver has a driving record held by the DMV with license status, record of accidents & driving history.

  • Domain Registration Lookup

    A domain registration lookup is a search you can perform that looks up domain registration information.

  • Due Diligence

    Due diligence is the process of researching & vetting a situation, often with a business or real estate deal.

  • Eviction Lookup

    An eviction lookup is a search that gives information on evictions.

  • Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)
  • FEIN

    A FEIN (Federal Employee Information Number) is how the IRS tracks taxes of entities like businesses, corporations, and estates.

  • Fictitious Business Name

    A fictitious business is the name business is operates under that is not its legal name.

  • Foreclosure Listings

    Foreclosure listings are a list of homes in a particular area that have been foreclosed on by a bank and taken back from the homeowner.

  • Fugitive Recovery

    Fugitive recovery is the process of tracking down and retrieving suspects who have fled to avoid court appearances.

  • GLBA

    GLBA is the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.

  • Global Watch

    Global Watch is a search that aids corporation compliance within Government set business practices.

  • Government Watch List

    Government watch lists are comprehensive lists that make it possible for various government agencies and law enforcement to keep track of individuals deemed a domestic threat.

  • Health Insurance Fraud

    A type of insurance fraud where either the insured or the health care provider provides false information for their own benefit.

  • Hit Rate

    A hit rate refers to the percentage of individuals who yield results during a background check or criminal history search.

  • Homestead Exemption

    A homestead exemption helps property owners save money on taxes based on qualifying criteria.

  • Identity Theft

    Identity theft is when a criminal steals & uses someone’s social security number to make financial transactions or open accounts.

  • Investigative Reporters

    Investigative reporters are journalists who investigate a topic much more deeply than a typical news story and publish an extensive article on the subject at hand.

  • Law Enforcement

    Law enforcement refers to the organized manner in which the law is enforced.

  • Law Enforcement Database

    Law enforcement databases are online clearinghouses for crime data that can be accessed by any government agency when needed.

  • License Check

    Many service-oriented businesses and individuals are required to have licenses.

  • License Plate Database

    License plate databases are useful for law enforcement and licensed investigators alike.

  • License Plate Tracker

    License plate trackers assist searchers in extracting detailed information about a specific vehicle.

  • Marriage License

    A marriage license is required by every state to legalize a marriage and is used to prove legal obligations.

  • Medical Bankruptcy

    Medical bankruptcies occur when an individual is unable to pay their medical expenses.

  • Medical License Lookup

    A medical license lookup will provide a name, license number, type of license, and status, including if there has been any formal disciplinary action taken by that state’s medical board.

  • Motor Vehicle Report

    Motor vehicle reports contain info on an individual’s driving history, including accidents and infractions.

  • OFAC

    The OFAC is the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

  • Online Safety

    Online safety refers to the mindset and practice of staying safe while using the internet.

  • People Search

    A people search is a compilation of an individual’s personal information from various online sources.

  • Phone Number Lookup

    Phone number lookup is a type of reverse lookup that finds the owner of a phone number.

  • Pilot License

    Pilot licenses are one of several types of airmen certificates issued by the FAA.

  • Private Investigator

    A private investigator finds detailed information needed by companies and private citizens.

  • Private Investigator Database

    Private investigator databases are structured online sets of data provide private investigators with the critical information they need quickly.

  • Property Deed

    A property deed is the legal document that transfers property from one party to another.

  • Property Records

    Property records are publicly available records that offer a glimpse of a wide variety of information about a dwelling or parcel of land.

  • Property Tax

    Property tax is a local tax on property owned that supports local needs.

  • Recorder Records

    Recorders records are files logged by a county’s local recorder’s office.

  • Reverse Email Lookup

    Reverse email lookup finds the identity of an unknown email address.

  • Reverse Lookup

    Reverse lookup is any method that uses non-personal info find a person’s identity, such as a phone number.

  • Right-Party Contact
  • Risk Mitigation

    Risk mitigation is a strategy to keep individuals & businesses safe.

  • Scrub Rate

    A scrub rate refers to the percentage of individuals subjected to a social media search who have “scrubbed” their histories.

  • Skip Trace Agent

    A skip trace agent specializes in locating people who are usually wanted for criminal reasons.

  • Skip Tracing

    Skip tracing is needed when a person of interest cannot be found at their usual spots.

  • Skip Tracing Databases
  • Social Media Search

    A social media search will yield a list of social media profiles under the name that was entered into the search field.

  • Social Security Number Search

    A social security number search is one method employed by people to conduct background checks.

  • SSN Reverse Lookup

    A social security number reverse lookup allows an individual to find out where and when a social security number was issued.

  • Tax ID Number

    A tax ID number is the nine-digit number the IRS uses to track taxpayers.

  • Tax Lien

    A tax lien is the government’s legal claim against an individual’s property when they fail to pay taxes.

  • U.S. Corporations

    According to U.S. law, a corporation is a business that is “a legal entity created through the laws of its state of incorporation.”

  • Vehicle Recognition

    Vehicle recognition is a comprehensive term that refers to all technologies used to identify a specific vehicle.

  • Vehicle Registration

    Vehicle registration is a process where you record your vehicle info to receive your license plate.

  • Vital Records

    Vital records are official records of a person’s identity & major life events that are held by the government.