Frequently Asked Questions

What is an FCRA Agreement and why do we need to sign it?
How quickly can I retrieve my results?
How do I order and retrieve my reports?
How do I know what searches to order?
How will I be billed?
How soon after I send the FCRA Agreement may I start ordering?
What if I make a mistake when ordering?

What is the difference between a county, state, and federal criminal search?
Why should I run a county and state search?
What is a reliable state search?
How far should I search into the applicant's criminal history?
What is the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor?
What is a social security track, why is it important, and how do I use the information?
Is there a national search that I can add to my package?
What will I learn from a motor vehicle report?
How often are criminal records found?
What types of criminal records are discovered most often?
What is my next course of action if criminal information is found?
What course of action do I take when I don't hire an applicant because of adverse information?


Why do we need to provide personal/confidential information from our applicants?
What are Justifacts' security measures concerning personal and/or confidential information?
What if I forget my password for Justiweb?
What if I forget my user name for Justiweb?
What if I can't log on to Justiweb?
Can I receive more than one user ID for my company?
What is the most secure way for me to submit and retrieve my orders?
Is there an online waiver that I can use for my applicants?
How can I be sure that my order has been received?
How can my security department track criminal hits?

What is an FCRA Agreement and why do we need to sign it?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act Agreement is an acknowledgement that both your company and Justifacts Credential Verification, Inc., as an agent of your company, will abide by the regulations set forth in this document. The Agreement to Abide by the Fair Credit Reporting Act is not a contract for services. However, it must be signed prior to any investigations being performed by Justifacts on behalf of your company. The FCRA agreement is necessary to assure that your company is abiding by the requirements of the FCRA, including the requirement to notify your applicant of and obtaining authorization for the background search.

How quickly can I retrieve my results?

All instant searches are available immediately via our online system, Justiweb. These searches include: social security tracks, most motor vehicle records, and credit reports. Some criminal searches are available on the day they are ordered or within 24 hours. These searches include; state, county, federal, and the National Criminal Database Search. The remainder of the searches can be viewed, in real time using Justiweb, as they progress through completion. This completed report is available within 48-72 hours, in most cases.

How do I order and retrieve my reports?

Ordering and retrieval options include: Justiweb, our real time online system, e-mail, and facsimile. The most efficient order and retrieval option is Justiweb.

How do I know what searches to order?

Our well-versed sales staff will assist you in creating a customized package that is specifically tailored to fit your company’s needs and requirements. As a client, you will be assigned a personal account manager, who will monitor your ordering and advise you of any need for deviation or concerns that may arise.

How will I be billed?

Invoices are available via US Postal Service or e-mail on a monthly basis.

How soon after I send the FCRA Agreement may I start ordering?

Once the FCRA Agreement is received, your account is set up and you may begin ordering searches immediately.

What if I make a mistake when ordering?

If, at any time, a mistake is made when ordering, your personal account manager will be available to assist you in correcting the error/errors. Also, when performing your own order entry, all errors can be corrected prior to clicking on the submit button, except in the case of instant record searches.

What is the difference between a county, state, and federal criminal search?

The county level court record provides the most accurate and current information available for public inspection. Most criminal offenses are handled at this level.

Statewide criminal records are typically held in repositories that have court records forwarded to them by each individual county in the state. Due to the dependence on the counties to forward the information in a timely manner, the state records are, in most cases, 60-90 days removed from those of the counties. Although the state records are not always as current, they cover a broader area of residence than that of just a particular county.

Federal criminal records are accessed using a Federal District Court Search. Because this search tracks federal crimes, such as bank robbery, tax evasion, drug charges etc. the information provided is not available using the state or county searches.

Why should I run a county and state search?

Running a current county and a state search will provide you with the most comprehensive information available. By utilizing both of these valuable searches, the broadest range of up to date information is obtained.

What is a reliable state search?

It is Justifacts’ experience that some state searches are unavailable or unreliable in providing comprehensive criminal records due to a variety of reasons. These reasons include but are not limited to; states that only include convictions, states, which only include felony crimes, and states that do not offer a statewide criminal record search.

How far should I search into the applicant’s criminal history?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act recommends searching all addresses of employment and residence for the last seven years.

What is the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor?

• A felony is a crime that is more severe than a misdemeanor and carries a sentence of more than one year in prison.
• A misdemeanor crime is less serious than a felony and subsequently carries a shorter sentence.

What is a social security track, why is it important, and how do I use the information?

A social security track is used to verify the social security number of the individual as well as to obtain aliases and past/ present residences. The information gathered helps assure that you are searching for criminal records in the correct states/counties as well as searching the correct names/aliases for the applicant. Without this information, the employer relies on the truthfulness of the applicant, which can nullify the effectiveness of the search. In your report, if discrepant or adverse information is located within the social security track, you account manager will mark this search as such and highlight the results in red or label it see report.

Is there a national search that I can add to my package?

Yes, the Multi State/National Criminal Database is a countrywide search tool. This search can be used as a cost effective method of obtaining comprehensive information on a broad scale. Because this is a database search, it must be used in conjunction with an FCRA compliant search.

What will I learn from a motor vehicle report?

The motor vehicle report will reveal minor and major violations/accidents and license suspensions, which may indicate an applicant’s level of responsibility.

How often are criminal records found?

It is Justifacts’ experience that criminal records are found in 10-12% of applicants for white-collar positions. The incidents of criminal record activity increase in blue-collar positions and may be as high as 20-25%. However, it is Justifacts' experience that crimes in the white-collar realm of employment are often of a more serious nature.

What types of criminal records are discovered most often?

The ratio of misdemeanor crimes versus felony crimes discovered is 10 to 1.

What is my next course of action if criminal information is found?

Upon the discovery of criminal information the next course of action depends on the rules and regulation of your company. If criminal information is found but warrants further investigation, you may inform Justifacts that you would like to begin this investigation, and any resulting information will be forwarded upon receipt.

What course of action do I take when I don’t hire an applicant because of adverse information?

Justifacts provides an adverse action letter template to send to your applicant upon denial based wholly or in part on the information accumulated during the background investigation. This letter will direct the applicant to contact our full time adverse action manager who will then handle the dispute as set forth in the rules of the FCRA.

Why do we need to provide personal/confidential information from our applicants?

In order to perform a background search, certain personal and/or confidential information is imperative to accessing as well as insuring the validity of the results. The confidential information that is necessary to complete these searches includes but is not limited to: social security number of the applicant, birth date, and past/present addresses.

What are Justifacts’ security measures concerning personal and/ or confidential information is concerned?

Our multi-faceted approach to providing the highest level of security includes: 128 bit encryption on our web site, multi-stage hot and cold storage backup of information, lock boxes, and weekly shredding services. In addition we provide individual accounts with password protection, and limited, tiered access within the client company is also available. Justifacts does not resell or maintain a database of the information accumulated for any of our clients.

What if I forget my password for Justiweb?

While Justifacts is unable to access your password for retrieval, your account manager or our IT department can re-set your password in the event that it is lost or forgotten.

What if I forget my user name for Justiweb?

Your account manager is available to assist you by providing this information at any time.

What if I can’t log on to Justiweb?

At any time your account manager or sales manager is able to assist you in the process of logging on to Justiweb. If further assistance is necessary, our IT department is always available to offer support.

Can I receive more than one user ID for my company?

Yes, multi-levels with limited access as well as multiple ID’s at a given level are always available, and additional ID’s can be added. There is no additional charge for this service.

 

What is the most secure way for me to submit and retrieve my orders?

The most secure way to submit and retrieve orders is via our online web based system, Justiweb.

Is there an online waiver that I can use for my applicants?

Presently there is not an online waiver available due to the lack of universal acceptance of an electronic signature.

How can I be sure that my order has been received?

Justifacts offers, at your request, an automatic e-mail confirmation that will be sent when an order is entered into our system. The same confirmation option is available upon the completion of each report.

How can my security department track criminal hits?

Justifacts' management reports allow a quick glance at all reports in a selected time period in one convenient location. It also provides quick links to the report itself and the criminal activity that was discovered.