| Check | What to confirm | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Legal identity | Registered name, registration number, address and status match the contract. | Company registry of the vendor’s country or state (e.g. the Secretary of State business search in the US, Companies House in the UK, the Israeli Registrar of Companies). |
| Who owns and runs it | Directors, beneficial owners and the people you will deal with are real and consistent. | Registry filings; company website; ProfileBolt reports on the founders and key contacts. |
| Track record | Years in business, real customers, references you contacted yourself. | Archived versions of the website (Wayback Machine); references; case studies you can verify. |
| Litigation | Lawsuits, judgments or bankruptcy involving the company or its principals. | CourtListener / PACER (US federal), state court portals; ProfileBolt’s court-record check for principals. |
| Adverse media | Fraud, regulatory action or scandals. | News search on the company and its principals; ProfileBolt flags possible adverse mentions. |
| Sanctions and watch lists | Neither the company nor its owners are sanctioned. | OFAC Sanctions List Search (US Treasury), the UK sanctions list, the EU consolidated list. |
| Licenses and certifications | Required licenses are current; claimed certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2) exist. | Issuing body’s registry; ask for the certificate and the auditor’s name. |
| Financial health | Able to deliver for the contract term. | Filed accounts where public; credit reports from a licensed agency where appropriate. |
| Security and privacy | Handles your data safely; has a DPA; breach history. | Security questionnaire; DPA; news search for breaches. |
| Domain and email | Their domain is old enough and matches who they say they are (to avoid invoice fraud). | WHOIS/RDAP lookup; verify bank-detail changes by phone using a number you already had. |
Keep a record
Save what you checked, when, and the link to each source. If something goes wrong later, a dated, source-linked file shows you took reasonable care. ProfileBolt reports keep every claim linked to its original and let your team add private comments; Team plans can monitor a saved profile and email you when its sources change.
Where ProfileBolt fits
Use it on the people: founders, directors and the contacts you deal with. One search gathers their public professional footprint, username and email checks, news and adverse-media mentions, and court records — with same-name results kept out of the report. See the sample report and the confidence method.
ProfileBolt does not provide credit reports or sanctions screening; use the official lists above for those.
5 free searches to start. Then $29 a month for 20 searches, or a one-off 3-search pack for $9 with no subscription.
Not for employment, tenant, credit or insurance decisions (ProfileBolt is not a consumer reporting agency). Need FCRA screening for hiring or tenancy? Use a licensed background-screening company (a consumer reporting agency).