Know Your Customers & Crew

Know Your Customers & Crew

KYC Knowledge Stand

A Basic Screening Strategy

A Basic Screening Strategy

This basic strategy is offered to get you working without delay! It’s a routine that can serve you in most cases but consider the total information you have on hand that may cause you to deviate or expand from it.

1.- Be sure to observe the FCRA-Compliant Onboarding Model. Before placing orders you must first do the following: (a) provide FCRA rights forms to candidates or incumbents and (b) get a signed authorization.

2.- Sign in to your KYC Solutions account via https://kyc.instascreen.net/sso/login.taz.

KYC Solutions account

3.-​ Click on the Order tab. Start the process by selecting New Order. Your account will provide you with screening packages that may have been customized for your needs, but you are likely to see options to choose from like the ones that follow:

New Order

4.- Examine the results of the SSN Trace. SSN traces return instantly and provide a good history of a subject’s residences (and other personal data) in the U.S. They should match what you have been given by your subject or what you have developed through research. An SSN trace that reports addresses or other information your subject has not disclosed is a RED FLAG to investigate. It could be an effort by the subject to conceal a firing or an arrest or some other problem in that region. Some inconsistencies between the application form and the SSN trace results to explore are (a) residences or employment in regions not given in the application; and (b) multiple users of the same social security number. These two are common flags. They are not necessarily an indication of fraud but they should be clarified through further research and the subject’s explanations. 

If you see no red flags then you may not need additional services. Proceed to step 6. 

If the SSN trace points to red flags, go to step 5.

5.- Navigate to the Order > Investigative section and “tick” additional services:

Additional Services

These four suggestions are common add-on’s but they are by no means the only services to employ. Use the Table of Contents (left panel) and our Overview of Screening Services section for a summary of the services available and navigate to the pages where each service is described in detail. The descriptions will tell you what a service explores and what kind of results can be expected. 

Before reaching the adjudication phase, the researcher performing a background check should communicate with the subject to get explanations about issues or inconsistencies that are discovered. A subject may or may not give plausible clarifications to your concerns that should be considered during the next step: adjudication.

6.- Adjudicate. This final step is crucial to maintaining a “safe hiring” program in compliance with the FCRA. During adjudication, remember that—

Completing the adjudication process completes another background investigation case.

FCRA-Compliant Onboarding Model

By “onboarding” we mean the process a “consumer” (as defined by law) is subjected to for an FCRA protected benefit (e.g., employment or housing). Every entity is unique and requires tailored business processes that address the needs of its organization, industry, geography, and applicable laws.

The model below demonstrates the basic steps that most entities need to apply in compliance with the FRCA and, if applicable, Fair Chance laws or policies. A diagram for your entity’s onboarding functions could have many more steps, like interview, testing, medical exam, etc., and you could want to elaborate the adjudication phase; or you may prefer the simplicity of this model.

The “insider threat” is very real and usually the costliest.