Patent ID: 8620676

Claim:
An electronic credentials verification system, comprising: electronic credentials records configured to contain credentials information of applicants; an electronic database adapted to organize the credentials records and permit real-time access to the records by authorized applicants and users; an electronic storage medium to store the database; and one or more computer servers adapted to manage the database and communicate electronically through a communications network to sources of verification data, the one or more computer servers being configured to: receive the credentials information pertaining to the applicants, receive information from the sources of verification data corresponding to one or more aspects of the credentials information pertaining to the applicants; store the information received from the sources of verification data as part of the credentials records in the database, 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 obtaining third party credential data and images of primary source data corresponding to the third party credential data; software means for comparing the obtained third party credentials data to the collected credentials information pertaining to the applicant; with the 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 servers enabling 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.