What it entails

Digital Footprint Checks assess social network and LinkedIn profile age, presence of any social profiles, detect “no digital footprint” scenarios, and classify connection types (TOR, VPN, data center, mobile, residential). They measure average account ages, geographic consistency, overall online linkage coherence, and detect anonymizing networks, cloud proxies, and geographical anomalies.

Why it works

Authentic users exhibit established, multi-year social and professional footprints. Synthetic or mule identities lack robust histories or hide behind anonymizers, cloud hosts, or mobile proxies to obfuscate true origin.

Checks

The following are the distinct IDs and types of checks that are included in the Digital Check Package.

DIGITAL_NO_DIGITAL_FOOTPRINT

Presence of any digital linkage.

Value	Name	Description
`TRUE`	No digital footprint found!	There is no linkage to any online behavior including social media, MAIDs, or HEMs from our digital source providers. This could indicate a synthetic identity or fraud attempt.
`FALSE`	Digital footprint present	There is linkage to online behavior including social media, MAIDs, or HEMs from our digital source providers.

DIGITAL_SOCIAL_NETWORK_NON_US

Whether connected social profiles are non-US.

Value	Name	Description
`TRUE`	Non-US social network profiles found	Non-US social network profiles were found, which could indicate some level of risk.
`FALSE`	US-based social network profiles	Any social network profiles found are US based.

DIGITAL_SOCIAL_NETWORK_NO_PROFILES

Whether any social profiles exist.

Value	Name	Description
`TRUE`	No social network profiles found	No social network profiles were found, which could indicate a potential fraud attempt.
`FALSE`	Social network profiles found	Social network profiles were found, indicating a legitimate connection.

DIGITAL_SOCIAL_NETWORK_AVG_AGE

Average age of connected social network accounts.

Value	Name	Description
`NEW`	Average age of 1 year or less	The average age of the connected social network accounts is 1 year.
`RECENT`	Average age of 2–4 years	The average age of the connected social network accounts is 2–4 years.
`OLDER`	Average age of 5 years or older	The average age of the connected social network accounts is 5 years or older.
`UNKNOWN`	No connected social network accounts known.	No social network account found.

DIGITAL_SOCIAL_NETWORK_NO_PROFILES

Whether any social profiles exist.

Value	Name	Description
`TRUE`	No social network profiles found	No social network profiles were found, which could indicate a potential fraud attempt.
`FALSE`	Social network profiles found	Social network profiles were found, indicating a legitimate connection.

IP_TYPE

Classification of IP address source.

Value	Name	Description
`TOR`	TOR Node detected	A very high-risk IP, as Tor and anonymizers are commonly linked to privacy-conscious users but are also frequently associated with criminal activity, malware, and fraud attempts.
`VPN`	VPN detected	A high-risk IP, typically used to mask the user’s true location or identity. While some VPN use may be legitimate (e.g., privacy concerns), it can often be used for malicious activity like fraud or evading detection.
`DATA_CENTER`	Data center detected	A medium-risk IP, often tied to cloud providers or web hosts, sometimes used by bots, scrapers, or automated systems.
`UNKNOWN`	Unknown IP type	The IP type could not be determined, so the risk level is slightly elevated.
`MOBILE`	Mobile IP address detected	A low-risk IP address, often tied to mobile devices, which are typically used by individuals.
`RESIDENTIAL_OR_BUSINESS`	Residential IP address detected	A low-risk IP address tied to an individual’s home or business, often connected, with typical user behavior patterns.
`NONE`	No IP address provided	No IP address provided, no checks to be run.