Conducting a Social Security Number Validation is the first line of defense against applicant fraud. We attempt to validate the number provided by the applicant prior to performing any other searches to avoid the inconvenience and expense of performing unnecessary searches with an invalid Social Security Number. This is an important first step in the background investigation process since the first thing we do, if provided this option by the client, is to determine if the person we are investigating is who they say they are. We recommend that every client choose to obtain a Social Security Number validation.