US SSN Check: Handling Incomplete and Conflicting Results

US SSN Check: Handling Incomplete and Conflicting Results

Occasionally, the SSN (Social Security Number) Verification Scan portion of a US criminal record check can return a result of “Incomplete” or “Discrepancy.” This article explains what those statuses mean and what steps to take next.


Notes
This guide is intended for clients who order US criminal record checks through Credibled.

What does an Incomplete or Discrepancy status mean?

The SSN Verification Scan is conducted as part of all US criminal record checks provided by Credibled. This scan is primarily an investigative tool used to generate a name and address history associated with the SSN provided by the candidate. This historical information helps Credibled determine where to search for potential criminal history and allows for accurate matching with any records found.

In certain cases, the tool may also verify the state and year of issuance of the SSN. However, this validation is only possible for SSNs issued prior to June 2011. After this date, the Social Security Administration introduced SSN randomization, which removed the geographic and chronological significance of SSNs.

How are these results displayed?

When viewing a US criminal record report, SSN Verification Scan results appear in the Search Results section. The result may display as Incomplete, as shown in this example:


Additionally, within the Criminal Record Check section, the status Discrepancy might appear under the SSN Result label, as seen here:


Why do Incomplete or Discrepancy results occur?

An SSN Verification Scan may return an Incomplete or Discrepancy result for a few common reasons:

  • The candidate entered their SSN incorrectly, or an incorrect number was submitted via an API request.
  • The SSN was issued after June 2011, when SSN randomization began, making it impossible for the tool to confirm the state and year of issuance.
Note: The inability to verify state and year of issuance does not affect the accuracy of the criminal history search itself.

What to do if the SSN scan status is Incomplete or Discrepancy

If your report returns an SSN Verification result of Incomplete or Discrepancy, please contact Credibled Support or your dedicated account manager and share the candidate’s details. Our team will investigate the root cause of the issue.

As part of this process, we will determine whether the status is related to SSN randomization or a mistyped/invalid SSN.

NotesIn some cases, a Credibled representative may reach out directly to the candidate to verify or clarify the information.

Outcomes of the Investigation

✅ If caused by SSN randomization:

If the discrepancy is due to the SSN being correctly entered but randomized (issued post-2011), the report will be updated with the following message:

Alert
“SSN is randomized. Unable to validate state and year of issue.”

This indicates that while the SSN format is valid and matches to a known identity, the scan tool is unable to confirm the issuing details due to randomization. The name and address history connected to the SSN is still used by Credibled for the criminal history check.



If necessary, you may use a separate method to validate the SSN details.

Warning
❗ If caused by an incorrect SSN:

If the discrepancy is determined to stem from an incorrectly entered SSN, you’ll be advised to initiate a new background check using the corrected SSN.

Important: Without rechecking the data, there’s a risk of incomplete or inaccurate results.

Still need help?

If you're unsure about how to proceed or need additional clarification, please contact Credibled Support. We're here to help ensure your background screening process is accurate and compliant.


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