Glossary

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

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

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

Assessors records are related to property values in a county.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chapter 7 bankruptcy is the most common type of bankruptcy.

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

criminal background check shows an individual’s criminal records.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GLBA is the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The OFAC is the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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