Why do you need my Social Security number?

Your Social Security number helps us return accurate background check results. First, we check to make sure the number you enter belongs to you. Then, we use it to identify any aliases or name variations associated with that SSN. Next, we use your SSN to find your most recent addresses and places where you’ve applied for or used credit. For example, if a car rental agency checked your credit when you rented a car, the county where you rented might show up in the list of addresses, even though you never lived there. All these details help us make sure we return information that’s actually about you, rather than someone with a similar name. Recent addresses are particularly important because they help us identify the counties you’ve lived in or conducted business in. Searching for court records in the counties where you lived returns more accurate and complete information than searches that only check state or national databases. That’s why we encourage employers to order background checks that include county-level searches (though not all employers do). Likewise, if you’re checking your own background and you think you have a criminal record, we suggest you order a background check that includes a county-level search.

Here’s how we protect your SSN:

• We make sure that the only ScoutLogic employees who can see your SSN are those who need it to fulfill background check orders or to resolve customer service issues.
• We keep a digital record of every time a ScoutLogic employee accesses someone’s SSN information, so we know who has looked at your SSN, when, and why.
• We encrypt your SSN to protect it from unauthorized use.