We are inviting you to a special webinar entitled “Social Media Background Checks: The 7 Commandments of Using Facebook in the Screening Process”

Date: December 20th, 2011 Tuesday

Time: 2:00 PM EST until 3:00 PM EST

There have been many recent high-profile cases involving an increase in the restrictions put on Employer’s use of Social Media in Hiring and Screening, as well as Employer’s regulation and response to Employee Comments made on Social Media sites, such as Facebook. The NLRB has challenged as unlawful an employer’s discipline of an employee who made comments on a social media site. Whether you want to use sites like Facebook to screen out employees via a social media background check, or use social media sites to monitor your employee’s social media activity, discipline them for what they post, or simply maintain rules that arguably regulate employee conduct, all employers need to understand the evolving rules coming from the NLRB. Additionally, real world practical tips and insider secrets will be shared by Kevin Connell, a social media savvy background check expert. This webinar is a Pre-Approved HRCI Certified Webinar.

Register HERE for this Complimentary Webinar

Background screening expert available to provide tips for a safe holiday season

Tampa, FL, December 9, 2011 – Visiting Santa at the mall is a cherished holiday tradition for most families. Kids instinctively trust the jolly old fellow in the red suit. But did you ever stop to think who might be lurking behind Santa’s false beard?

Kevin Connell is America’s leading background screening expert, dubbed the “Human Lie Detector” by Fox News. He has seen his share of con men and crooks that use false identities (including Santa’s) to commit new crimes. Connell conducts criminal and sexual offender background checks for retail chains and malls that are hiring seasonal employees.

“Santa Claus is an institution. There are lots of great stories and movies about him,” Connell said. “Unfortunately, some bad people take advantage of seasonal opportunities and turn an uplifting season into a parent’s worst nightmare.”

Connell has nearly 20 years of experience as founder and CEO of AccuScreen.com, which specializes in pre-employment background screening and drug testing services. A nationally-known speaker and author, Connell has appeared on ABC News, Fox News and more than 172 radio and TV shows.

Connell helps his audience stay alert and safe. He shares cautionary tales of shady Santa’s, including a New Jersey actor who was arrested by Interpol for producing child pornography and abusing young boys.

In his interview segments and speaking engagements, he reveals:

* Why “Santa Claus” is an alias many criminals use when they’re arrested.
* Warning signs to look out for when shopping online and at the mall.
* Why many companies cut corners and take risks when hiring new employees.
* How to avoid common holiday scams, from fraudulent eBay offers to bait-and-switch sales.

Connell is available to speak on this timely and important topic both in the Tampa, Florida area and nationwide, in person or via telephone.

CONTACT:
Sue Marriott – Media Relations
(813) 837-1920 Ext 1100 (FL)
suemarriott@AccuScreen.com
www.accuscreen.com

Don’t trust your body to just anyone. Now, that may sound like common sense, but many people, including the rich and famous, have been bilked out of their hard-earned dollars—and their health—by scam artists intent on manipulating the human desire for beauty into a personal profit.

Most recently print and television news sources have been buzzing with the story of a Miami, Florida man named Oneal Ron Morris. Morris, 30, was arrested November 18th and charged with, among other things, practicing healthcare without a license. Why? For a mere $700.00, Morris promised his female clients more shapely buttocks by performing a simple cosmetic surgery procedure. The procedure? Morris injected his victims with a cocktail of mineral oil, super glue, and Fix-a-Flat.

To add insult to injury, and as may already be obvious, Morris is not a licensed cosmetic surgeon. As a matter of fact, he is not a medical professional of any kind. He has however been bestowed with the moniker Dr. Fix-a-Flat.

But, it’s not only people who are too cash strapped to afford top-of-the-line cosmetic surgery that fall prey to fake docs like Morris. Women like Priscilla Presley, Shawn King, and Diane Richie have also been victims of charming con artists.

Several years ago, when the who’s who of Hollywood included Botox parties—gatherings during which one doctor injected several clients at a time—as a part of their repertoire, Argentinean lothario, Dr. Daniel Serrano (not licensed in the U.S.), made the rounds, injecting clients with what he said was a better-than-Botox miracle drug. What he was actually using was industrial, low-grade silicone and a drug he smuggled from his home country; a drug that has not been approved by the FDA.

Serrano, nicknamed Dr. Jiffy Lube, and Morris not only left several women with serious disfigurations, they endangered the lives of people who trusted them. The chemical concoctions they used resulted in life-threatening conditions for several individuals.

As much as it may be easy to believe that only uneducated, low-income individuals fall prey to phony docs, the reality is that anyone can become a victim. People just don’t think to verify the license credentials of their healthcare providers.

Performing a background check on anyone who provides important services has become a must. Before putting your body, your money, and your health into the hands of anyone, make sure that you have done a thorough license credentials check. Contact a qualified identify verification service to explore your options regarding background checks for healthcare providers. Your life may depend on it.

Just when Adam Wheeler, the man convicted last year of fraud for lying his way into Harvard, thought it was safe to come out of the shadows, prosecutors in Middlesex, Massachusetts are asking that he serve his sentence as handed down by Superior Court Judge.

But, prosecutors aren’t just being petty, and they certainly couldn’t be accused of picking on Wheeler. Wheeler, originally ordered to serve 2 ½ years in jail, 10 years probation, pay restitution of more than $45,800, and to continue attending counseling for identity theft, resume lies, and other charges, appears to have forgone the lesson he learned (or should have learned) from his conviction in favor of the temptation of lying for profit once again.

Yes, Wheeler has taken the fraud route once again. He is an ideal model of why employment background checks are crucial.

Will Wheeler Ever Learn?
For those who don’t recall the story, Adam Wheeler, now 25, managed to weasel his way into Harvard by claiming to have had attended the prestigious Phillips Academy prep school in Andover and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Not one to fly under the radar to avoid detection, Wheeler, decided to shoot for Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships while at Harvard, citing co-authorship of several books, and by claiming to have taught numerous courses and lectures on what must have been an impressive application, with not your typical resume fraud. He was booted from Harvard in 2009.

With a never-give-up attitude, Wheeler dusted himself off and applied for admission to Stanford after his dismissal from Harvard. Stanford accepted Wheeler but also kicked him out after being alerted to his cons.

Caught Red Handed!
With a smile at his trial, Wheeler apologized to Harvard, his teachers, other students, and his friends. He also admitted to being “ashamed and embarrassed.” But, obviously, Wheeler wasn’t too embarrassed to give fraud another shot.

This enterprising young man now sits in jail awaiting a hearing in mid-November regarding the violation of his probation. So, did Wheeler, like so many other resume liars, stretch the truth a bit about his abilities or work history? Nope. Wheeler, in what can only be called an act of sheer arrogance, cited on a resume and in a cover letter that he attended Harvard University, a strict warning against which was issued as a condition of his probation.

It seems Wheeler lost his job over the summer and, in an effort to make his court-ordered restitution payments, he created resume lies to put himself in a better position than other applicants for the job. Just as he denied other students a position at Harvard, and then Stanford, Wheeler, once again, intended to deny someone more qualified than him the right to a position. This resume fraudster extraordinaire pulled out his pen and made some creative changes to his past.

The Lessons Wheeler Teaches
Wheeler may be a bit hard pressed to learn his own lessons, but he may serve as a shining example of why it’s important to tell the truth on a resume and, for employers, he highlights the need for performing a thorough pre-employment background check on each and every employee.

Potential employees lie. Not all of them, of course, but enough of them lie on job applications to warrant due diligence by employers. If Wheeler was the only individual to give resume fraud a shot, then employers wouldn’t have to look so intently for applicants who lie about a criminal past, tell tales about past employment, and present bogus educational credentials.

The reality for employers is this…
Resume lies aren’t going to magically go away. Because of this, it’s important for employers to protect themselves by partnering with a pre-employment screening agency with the experience to help employers protect themselves, and their employees, against the liability that can result from resume fraudsters.

Kevin Connell is Founder & CEO of AccuScreen.com www.accuscreen.com which has been providing pre-employment background checks on prospective and current employees since 1994. For additional Information & resources about Kevin Connell and AccuScreen’s services, please go to www.accuscreen.com or call AccuScreen.com (813)837-1920, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time

The lead story on Fox 13 Nightly News was with CEO and President of AccuScreen.com, Kevin Connell. He was interviewed about the GOP Presidential candidate Herman Cain and the controversy surrounding Sexual Harassment claims made by former employees against Cain while he was with the National Restaurant Association.

November 2, 2011 ( Tampa, FL) AccuScreen.com’s CEO and Background Screening Expert Kevin Connell will be interviewed tonight on Fox News Edge about the Herman Cain dilemma & the Sexual Harassment charges made toward him.

The interview will center on the subject of Sexual Harassment and the accusations brought forth by former employees that worked under the Republican Presidential candidate when he was the CEO of the National Restaurant Association during the 1990’s.

This is an interview that you will not want to miss!

If you are not in the Tampa Bay area, no worries, we will be posting the link to the interview afterwards, the video will appear under www.AccuScreen.com/blog

Watch Fox News Edge tonight at 11:00 PM on Fox 13 Tampa Bay.

We are inviting you to a special webinar entitled “Social Media Background Checks: The 7 Commandments of Using Facebook in the Screening Process”

Date: November 3, 2011 Thursday

Time: 2:00 PM EST until 3:00 PM EST

There have been many recent high-profile cases involving an increase in the restrictions put on Employer’s use of Social Media in Hiring and Screening, as well as Employer’s regulation and response to Employee Comments made on Social Media sites, such as Facebook. The NLRB has challenged as unlawful an employer’s discipline of an employee who made comments on a social media site. Whether you want to use sites like Facebook to screen out employees via a social media background check, or use social media sites to monitor your employee’s social media activity, discipline them for what they post, or simply maintain rules that arguably regulate employee conduct, all employers need to understand the evolving rules coming from the NLRB. Additionally, real world practical tips and insider secrets will be shared by Kevin Connell, a social media savvy background check expert. This webinar is a Pre-Approved HRCI Certified Webinar.

Register HERE for this Complimentary Webinar

Employment Background Investigations, Kevin Connell, will present a session at the HR Florida State Council Conference in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 11:45 am titled “Resume Fraud in Today’s Economy & Negligent Hiring”.

Join Kevin Connell to learn the types of resume fraud most common in today’s economy, as well as, the shocking cost of Employee Theft. Kevin will also present on Negligent Hiring and how HR professionals can reduce such risks.

As a result of Hurricane Irene, the LabCorp Occupational Testing Services laboratory located in Raritan, NJ is currently experiencing a power outage. While the laboratory is without full power, LabCorp will reroute drug test specimens to its Research Triangle Park, NC and Southaven, MS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) certified laboratories.

Please be aware that you may experience delays in specimen transportation in areas where flights were cancelled and roadways closed due to unsafe traveling conditions.

Due to the potential for storm-related damage on the East Coast as a result of Hurricane Irene, your lab for specimen collection may be delayed in opening or closing for the next few days. Please call us if you have any questions or concerns at 800-689-2228 ext# 1100

We apologize for any delays you may experience during the storm recovery period. Please rest assured that LabCorp’s staff is working diligently to minimize the impact of this storm upon your organization’s testing programs.

We will provide updated information as it becomes available.

Over and over the news covers employee fraud and employee embezzlement. Our goal at AccuScreen is to help business get wise about who their hiring, by doing a background check and a making each employee accountable to someone. Read below a recent case dealing with payroll fraud.

Geselle Savoy, 52, of Alamogordo, N.M., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Lemmon to conspiring to commit federal program fraud while working as a testing technician for the Jefferson public schools, according to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten’s office.

Savoy admitted that from February 2007 to September 2009 she submitted fraudulent payroll documents for herself and three other school system employees to receive about $132,000 in payments and stipends from the district. The payments came through the LEAP program, Graduate Exit Examination tutoring fund, Education Excellent fund and general fund.

Neither Savoy nor her co-defendants, Amanda Jackson, Danay Jackson and Tracy Walker, were certified teachers or qualified to perform testing or tutoring. Amanda Jackson and Savoy are cousins, and Danay Jackson is Amanda’s daughter.

According to court records, Savoy admitted receiving about $38,000 in payments personally and she processed fraudulent payroll sheets for the other co-defendants that totaled thousands of dollars each. The employees were submitting false overtime records and were able to access the school system’s financial database despite not being authorized for that access, according to court documents.

Savoy is set to be sentenced Oct. 12. She faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Does your driver know the English Language? A new bill being passed thru the states is making sure that aspiring truck drivers have an understanding before obtaining a cdl license.

With the majority of state legislatures having wrapped up their work for the year, lawmakers in various states, including Pennsylvania, continue to discuss bills of relevance to the trucking industry. In the Keystone State, one bill – HB1180 – is intended to ensure that aspiring truck drivers have a firm grasp of the English language before they obtain a commercial driver’s license. There are nine states that already limit licensing tests for regular driver’s licenses to English only. About a half dozen states have the language mandate for commercial drivers. In contrast, five states offer their tests in at least 17 languages. California leads the nation with 32 language offerings. Pennsylvania law now limits the written or oral portion of the knowledge test for CDLs to be given in English or Spanish. A bill in the House Transportation Committee would mandate the state’s CDL test to be given entirely in English. Supporters say they are concerned that people are allowed to drive on roads without a command of the English language. They say it’s a matter of safety. Another argument in favor of outlawing tests in other languages is concern about lawsuits alleging a state favors one language over another.Opponents say there are no studies that suggest English proficiency makes better drivers. They also note that legislative efforts do not apply to illiterate residents. A similar effort could be considered next year at the Tennessee statehouse. A bill in the state Senate would narrow the language options on the state’s written portion of the driver’s license exam, including commercial licenses, from four to one. Tennessee now permits exams to be conducted in English, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. If approved, the state would mandate all portions of the exam to be administered in English. The bill has been deferred from consideration until lawmakers return to the capitol in 2012.

Popeyes is fighting fraud.

Popeyes has rolled out a preventive measure in 148 stores by using fingerprint biometrics as a part of their point-of-sale (POS) systems. By using the biometric readers for time and attendance, employees can no longer punch in for one another, dramatically reducing payroll fraud. This new system has improved employee accountability, increased sales, and reduced both unauthorized transactions and payroll fraud. As a result, the Popeye’s locations with fingerprint-equipped POS systems have experienced a decrease in overrides and inventory losses due to fraud.

How is your company fighting fraud?