Electronic credentials verification and management system

A method for electronically verifying information pertaining to applicants over a communication network, the method comprising:

• providing an electronic database adapted to organize credentials records configured to contain credential information of applicants and permit real-time access to the records by authorized applicants and users;
• receiving by one or more computer servers credentials information pertaining to the applicants over the communications network;
• storing by the one or more computer servers the credentials information as part of the credentials records in the electronic database;
• receiving by the one or more computer servers from one or more information sources, data corresponding to one or more aspects of the credentials information pertaining to the applicants;
• storing the received data as part of the credentials records;
• and
• automatically verifying by the one or more computer servers on a substantially continuous basis, one or more aspects of the credentials information pertaining to the applicants based on data received from the one or more information sources, wherein the automatically verifying includes automatically invoking an electronic search over the communication network for automatically obtaining third party credential data and images of primary source data corresponding to the third party credential data;
• comparing the obtained third party credentials data to the collected credentials information pertaining to the applicant;
• notifying a user of inconsistencies between the obtained third party credential data and the collected credentials information pertaining to the applicant;
• and
• presenting the user with the third party credential information and the image of the primary source data.

An electronic system for validating credentials of applicants, the system comprising:

• a data storage device storing a database of electronic credentials records configured to contain credentials information of applicants, the data storage device being adapted to permit electronic access to the records by authorized applicants and users;
• and
• one or more computer servers adapted to manage the database and communicate electronically through a communications network to sources of data relating to one or more aspects of the credentials information pertaining to the applicants, the one or more computer servers being configured to:
• receive the credentials information pertaining to the applicants,
• receive information from the sources of data corresponding to one or more aspects of the credentials information pertaining to the applicants;
• store the information received from the sources of data as part of the credentials records in the database,
• automatically validate one or more aspects of the credentials information based on information received from the sources of data automatically verify on a substantially continuous basis one or more aspects of the credentials information based on information received from the sources of verification data, wherein the automatic verifying comprises:
• automatically obtain third party credential data and images of primary source data corresponding to the third party credential data;
• automatically correlate the received information with the one or more aspects of the credentials information;
• software means for comparing the obtained third party credentials data to the collected credentials information pertaining to the applicant;
• with the one or more servers configured to notify a user of inconsistencies based on said comparison between the obtained third party credential data and the collected credentials information pertaining to the applicant;
• and
• with the one or more servers enabling the applicant or a user to review the third party credential information and the image of the primary source data that is the subject of inconsistency.

A computer device for verifying or validating credentials information pertaining to applicants, the computer device comprising:

• a network interface for accessing a communication network;
• an electronic database adapted to organize credentials records containing credential information of applicants and permit real-time access to the records by authorized applicants and users;
• a processor programmed to communicate with a remote server over the network interface, the server being programmed to receive credentials information pertaining to an applicant, generate an electronic record for the applicant including the credentials information, with the generated electronic record stored in said electronic database, the server being further configured to collect from one or more external sources of information, over the communication network, data corresponding to one or more aspects of the credentials information, verify or validate the one or more aspects of the credentials information based on the collected data, automatically verify on a substantially continuous basis one or more aspects of the credentials information based on information received from the sources of verification data, wherein the server automatically obtains third party credential data and automatically obtains images of primary source data corresponding to the third party credential data;
• includes software means for comparing the obtained third party credentials data to the collected credentials information pertaining to the applicant and notifies applicant or a user of inconsistencies based on said comparison between the obtained third party credential data and the collected credentials information pertaining to the applicant and enables the applicant or user to review the third party credential information and the image of the primary source data that is the subject of inconsistency with the server further updating an aspect of the database based on results of the verifying or validating, the processor being further programmed to receive an output from the server based on the results of the verifying or validating;
• and
• a display coupled to the processor for displaying the output received from the server.