When an US SSN Trace is complete, you can view the results from the case’s Case Details page. The report is updated as each check in the case is completed.

To learn more about how the US SSN Trace works, see our US SSN Trace article.

In this article

• Reports in progress
• Explanation of results
• Next steps

Reports in progress

If at least one US Criminal check exists in an application and at least one check within that application is still in progress, a temporary in progress message will display inside the results of all completed or cancelled checks within that application. Once all checks are back, the message will be automatically removed.

Example: An application includes a County Criminal check, Sex Offender Registry check (SOR), and Employment Verification check. If the Employment Verification and SOR checks are completed but the County Criminal check is still in progress, the message will appear in both the Employment Verification and SOR check sections to make it clear that there are still pending checks.

Report in progress message:

Some results of this background check are still pending. To remain compliant with applicable regulations—including the FCRA for US applicants—no decisions should be made until all checks are complete and results have been returned.

Explanation of results

A case is complete when the applicant has successfully submitted their information, Certn has executed all checks in the case and returned the relevant results. An SSN Trace can have 1 of 2 results:

• Clear, No discrepancy:
  • The SSN Trace returned results showing that the information associated with the Social Security Number is consistent with the information provided by the applicant.
  • The following scenarios will not trigger a discrepancy:
    • The SSN is randomized
    • No information is returned for the SSN
• Review, discrepancy found:
  • The SSN Trace returned with one or more discrepancies. This means the information provided by the applicant does not match what is associated with the Social Security Number.
  • A results can be considered discrepant if:
    • The SSN is listed in the Death Master File
    • The SSN provided by the applicant is not valid
    • The name on the SSN does not match the applicant’s provided name
    • The date of birth on the SSN does not match the applicant’s provided DOB.

Next steps

Once an SSN Trace has received one of the results above it is complete. Review the completed results from the Case Details page by selecting the case under the My tasks section.

Once you’ve reviewed the results of the SSN Trace and any other checks in the case, you can record your decision concerning the case. See the Manage your cases Certn Help article for more information.