I'm developing a web application that involves businesses signing up. What is the best way to verify a businesses identity? How do I know the person signing up for "Pizza Hut" really works for Pizza Hut? Are there web services I can utilize?
I know it seems far-fetched, but there are identify verification services that can identify a person's identity. I've seen them in action and the info they had on me was downright scary. They knew where I had worked, where I went to school (even the one semester psychology class I took just for fun.)
These services work because they purchase public records. For example, I took out a loan for an automobile at a bank, and had to list my employer. That's how they know who I worked for from 1987-1994.
I would bet that these services could help you.
Here's one. (I'm in no way affiliated with them. We just had them demo their product to us.) http://www.idology.com/
Here is another: http://www.veratad.com/fraud_prevention.html
We eventually went with services provided by Trans-Union (The credit reporting agency) in their IDMA and IDMV products. (I can't find the links right now - my PC is acting up, but you should be able to find them on the Trans-Union site.)
These services are not cheap, by the way.