Dr. “Fix-a-Flat” meet Dr. “Jiffy Lube”

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.

Join Us on November 3rd for a Free Webinar

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

Background Checks : Who is watching your employees?

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.

Another Ponzi Scheme, Are You Protecting Your Money?

Last month, a California con man was sentenced to 22 years in prison for running a Ponzi scheme that raked in at least $30 million from more than 500 victims and for launching a mortgage fraud operation that targeted distressed homeowners.

The man behind these scams—a Mexican national living in the U.S.—did most of that damage by purposely targeting mostly working-class, Spanish-speaking victims in Los Angeles.

And at Juan Rangel’s sentencing hearing, more than a dozen victims addressed the court, including one investor who had been convinced to invest money she received after her son was killed while serving as a U.S. soldier in Iraq.

The Ponzi scheme. Rangel’s company—Financial Plus Investments—was never licensed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, but that didn’t stop him from offering investments with guaranteed returns as high as 60 percent annually.

Rangel solicited investors from Los Angeles through Spanish-language newspapers and magazines, radio advertisements, television infomercials, and investment seminars.

He told potential investors that his company earned profits from real estate-related investments, and that if they invested with him, their money would be used to buy, renovate, and sell properties…and make high-interest rate loans to homeowners who were facing foreclosure. But what they didn’t know was that Rangel was using their money to pay off prior investors and fund a $2.5 million mansion and luxury sports car.

But, as all Ponzi schemes do eventually, Rangel’s scam—which started around November 2007—began collapsing in on itself when he didn’t have enough new investors to pay off the old ones. Checks stopped going out, and Financial Plus closed its doors in July 2008.

The mortgage fraud scheme. For approximately two years before, Rangel and his Financial Plus vice-president—who was also charged in this scheme—identified homeowners who were in default on their mortgages but who still had substantial equity remaining in their properties. Spanish-speaking Financial Plus employees were then directed to make unsolicited visits to identified homeowners with Latino surnames.

Rangel and his vice president would then meet with the homeowners who were interested in Financial Plus’ offer to help them avoid foreclosure. Some homeowners were told that Financial Plus would refinance their properties with another lender using a “co-signer” who had good credit. Others were told that Financial Plus would arrange for temporary sales of the properties, that the titles would be transferred but they could still live in the home, and that the titles would be returned to them after a year or less.

Of course, in both instances, the homeowners ended up with nothing….while Financial Plus ended up with the proceeds from fraudulently obtained loans and titles to homeowners’ properties.

The case was investigated by the FBI and our partners at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division.

When it came time to arrest Rangel after his October 2010 indictment on the Ponzi and mortgage fraud schemes, law enforcement authorities didn’t have to look that far—he was already in federal custody after his 2009 conviction for bribing a bank manager to falsify bank documents in direct support of his mortgage fraud scheme.

Moral of the story? When turning over your hard-earned money or property, make sure you do your due diligence on the people who are taking it.

Where Did Your Applicant Get Their Degree From? It Does Matter…

According to a 2011 report, the U.S. has the most diploma mills in the world. This year there has been a 20% increase in known diploma mills in the US, with the number rising from 810 to 1,008. High school diploma mills are of particular concern in the United States and appear to be a growing segment in this unscrupulous market as well.

What is a fake diploma?

Fake diplomas come from “diploma mills”. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary defines a diploma mill as, “An institution of higher education operating without supervision of a state or professional agency and granting diplomas which are either fraudulent or, because of the lack of proper standards, worthless.”

Identifying a fake diploma

The reality is that 43% of job applicants lie on their resume′ in one form or another. One of the biggest lies on a resume or job application is a fake education. This can be presented by false claims of graduating from a school by supplying fake diplomas from diploma mills. Regardless of the how the fake education is presented, it is fraudulent and should be of great concern to employers.

The best way to stop this type of unethical behavior by applicants is to conduct an employment background screening prior to hire. Hiring a pre-employment firm will help uncover and identify fake degrees and bogus claims of an education. They have the resources, experience and skills to verify legitimate schools versus diploma mill degrees.

The market for fake diplomas

Employers need to be aware that the market for fake diplomas is very lucrative and very easy to set up and get away with. Through the ease of the Internet, diploma mills and “phony” diploma companies can provide low cost, good quality diplomas. Even if the government steps in to stop them, they are up and running on the Internet the very next day. Unethical job applicants are more than happy to take full advantage of the ease of obtaining a diploma through a diploma mill or a “novelty diploma” company. These companies make it very easy to get a fake education and diploma for a relatively low price. Some fake “schools” and novelty companies can provide bogus transcripts for an extra fee.

Why employees use fake diplomas

Employees use fake degrees because it is easy and the job market can be very competitive. Even a position does not require a degree, a fake degree will be used to “get a leg up” on the competition.

Examples of diploma mills

There is no shortage of diploma mills on the Internet. Here are a few stories about fake diplomas being uncovered.

Former senior director at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Laura Callahan was under investigation for obtaining fake Bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in computer science from Hamilton University, a now-defunct diploma mill. Her fake credentials led to an 11-month investigation that uncovered multiple fake degrees held by numerous federal officials. Although Callahan did have a legit associate’s degree, she resigned from her position.

Marilee Jones was the dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and co-wrote ‘Less Stress, More Success: A New Approach to Guiding Your Teen Through College Admissions and Beyond’ before it emerged that she herself had cheated the admission process in getting a job at MIT in the first place. In 2007, it became public knowledge that she had lied on her CV with fake qualifications when she first joined MIT in 1979 as an entry-level admissions officer.

When she resigned her position with a statement on the college’s website, she wrote: “I misrepresented my academic degrees when I first applied to MIT 28 years ago, and did not have the courage to correct my resume when I applied for my current job or at any time since.” It just goes to show that lying on your CV can catch you up at any time – in this case, nearly 3 decades later.

The consequences of hiring fake graduates

The consequences that can arise out of hiring candidates with fake degrees are financial and physical damages. Employees who receive their degrees from diploma mills are not properly trained. They are more likely to make mistakes on the job that can result in a lawsuit or financial loss for a business. This is in addition to physical harm they can cause fellow employees and the public.

Making sure you avoid the “diploma mill” graduates

What it comes down to is that lazy and lying job applicants will use diploma mills to “earn” their degree. Employers can’t keep job applicants from buying their education, but they can take action to avoid hiring them. By conducting a professional background screening, including an educational records search, many inconsistencies can be discovered and problem employees averted.

What Type of Employees are You Dealing With?

In a recent post by Fox Business, “How to Deal with the Charlie Sheen of Your Workplace”, they address the problem of addiction in the workplace. It was something we wanted to share with you.

By Kate Rogers

Do you work with a “Charlie Sheen?” Even more troubling might be, does one work for you?

The world is watching as Charlie Sheen’s career and personal lives are seeming to fall apart. His reported addiction to substance abuse and headline-grabbing bad-boy behavior may have cost him his $2-million-an-episode gig on the hit series “Two and a Half Men.” However, addiction in the workplace isn’t uncommon.

Nearly 10% of all people in the workplace have an addiction issue, according to Vanessa Sebetich, training and development specialist at Greenbriar Treatment Center. Such addictions affect every person in the office from morale to HR procedure development, and can take their toll on employers and employees alike.

“Someone like Charlie Sheen is killing himself in front of America,” Sebetich said. “But the same goes for your co-workers—you can really care about them, and watch them deteriorate and not know what to do.”

Telltale signs of such addiction issues are employees underperforming, not doing their jobs or skipping out on work altogether, according to Polly Wright, senior consultant at HR Consultants, Inc. While the extreme behavior Sheen is exhibiting is likely in the minority at workplaces across the country, Wright said employers should intervene in some cases when a worker is suffering from addiction.

“It is often through absenteeism, lost activity and low morale,” she said. “That is when the employer has the ability to step in.”

Some employers offer a workplace assistance program with counseling where a troubled employee can seek help, and this can sometimes be made mandatory by the employer, Wright said.

According to human resource experts, the most important thing for all companies to have is a drug and alcohol policy that employers and supervisors are aware of and trained on. If a fellow employee is impaired in the workplace, employees should always first alert supervisors, who will then likely take the complaint to human resources.

For the rest of the article click here.

Background Checks Demystified in Recent Webinar

In our recent webinar on February 23rd Kevin Connell CEO of AccuScreen and Mike Sankey discuss Google and Employment Background Checks.

Reminder of Webinar Tomorrow

Don’t miss out on the much anticipated webinar tomorrow.

Webinar will reveal:

• Criminal records what can you really get online?
• What are the best practices of obtaining and utilizing criminal records?
• Debunking the myth of Google, Does it search everything or just the shallow web?
• Who is policing the Internet for accurate information?
• Availability of Criminal background checks in the US, please demystify the process.
• What are the best search practices with out compromising accuracy?
• Cheap criminal background check databases are they worth it?

We have had a record amount of registrars for tomorrows webinar. “Google: Employment Background Checks Demystified.” Click here for information.

Pitfalls of Conducting Employment Background Checks through Social and Professional Networking Websites

Employers using social or professional networking sites need to use care to avoid attaining and using information in a discriminatory way. Employers need to ensure that they don’t break privacy laws and make sure the information obtained is accurate.

Types of social and professional networking sites available

Some of the most popular are social and professional networking websites:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Twitter is a website which offers a social networking and microblogging service, its users send and read messages called tweets. Twitter is owned and operated by Twitter Inc. Since its creation in March 2006 it has gained in popularity worldwide and has approximately 190 million users.

Facebook is a social networking website founded by Mark Zuckerberg while he was still a student at Harvard University. The free-access website is privately owned and operated by Facebook, Inc. Users can join networks organized by city, school, workplace and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends, send them messages and update their personal profile to notify friends about themselves. Website membership was initially only available to Harvard students, but now has more than 600 million active users worldwide.

LinkedIn is a site mainly used for professional networking. The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details on people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections. Users can invite anyone (site user or not) to become a connection.

Pitfalls of using social and professional networking sites to screen job candidates

Some employers may feel that they should take advantage of the “free” information that is available on these networking sites. Before employers use information obtained from these sites, they need to consider:

• The use of personal information
• Accessibility issues
• Accuracy of information

It is important that a hiring manager not discriminate against a candidate because the person included something strange on a social network website. Consequences of misusing the information on social and professional networking websites include discrimination lawsuits and claims of invasion of privacy from job applicants.

A Safer Alternative

For an affordable, safe way to screen potential employees it’s best to rely on a professional pre-employment screening firm. These firms offer employers unbiased and accurate information screens for:

• Employment
• Criminal Records
• Driving Records
• Drug Testing
• Social Security Number
• Worker’s Compensation
• Licenses & Credentials
• Education
• Credit Profile

This information should be handled by a background screening company.
Any information on a candidate’s background needs to be handled in a legal and confidential manner. The reality is that Human Resource departments or business owners will not have the time to weed out the good information from the bad information obtained through social and professional networking websites. Even if they have the time, they may not know what information is allowed under the law.

Social and professional networking websites may be useful to gain a better understanding of who the candidate is, but should not be relied upon to make a sound hiring decision.
In order to avoid privacy violation and discrimination claims it is best to get the assistance of a professional and experienced employment-screening firm.

AccuScreen CEO Hosts August 25 Webinar Defining Employee Screening Rights

Kevin Connell, AccuScreen CEO and proponent of employer hiring rights, will unravel misleading quotes in a recent Associated Press article and clarify employers’ hiring rights in regard to pre-employment background checks.

TAMPA FL / August 23 2010 — Alarmed by the widely published Associated Press article from August 11th with the headline, “Some Job-Screening Tactics Challenged as Illegal,” AccuScreen has mounted a public response to counter statements that company leaders believe could misinform employers about their hiring rights.

In a webinar to be held Wednesday August 25 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST, Connell will unravel misleading facts in the article and explain employers’ hiring rights in regard to conducting a criminal background check and verifying the truthfulness of an applicant’s resume or job application.

Connell, the CEO of employment screening services company AccuScreen and outspoken proponent of employer hiring rights, believes the article is misleading and may have the effect of needlessly scaring employers about taking necessary steps to protect their companies.

“The article says that ‘companies using criminal records or bad credit reports to screen out job applicants might run afoul of anti-discrimination laws as the government steps up scrutiny of hiring policies that can hurt blacks and Hispanics’ — that is just ridiculous,” said Connell. “Employers have the right to ensure that they are hiring employees that will not jeopardize their company.”

The one-hour webinar, “Employee Screening Rights: 3 Must-Know Rules to Avoid the Wrath of the EEOC”, hosted by Connell, will explain:

· Employer’s rights in regard to running background checks on employees or job candidates
· The top 7 resume lies and how to spot them

Those interested in attending the free webinar can register online at: Webinar

“Employers cannot be made afraid to run a background check on applicants in order to protect their company, their employees, and their customers. In fact, laws have been passed making it mandatory to do criminal background checks in such industries as healthcare and daycare,” Connell said.

Those who cannot attend the webinar are encouraged to register for the event; a complimentary white paper, ‘Screening Job Applicants Without Discriminating,’ will be made available to all webinar registrants.

According to Connell, background checks can actually protect employers from being sued if an employee states he or she was fired or not hired because of illegal discrimination. “If the selection procedure has a disparate impact based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, can the employer show that the selection procedure is job-related and consistent with business necessity? An employer can meet this standard by showing that it is necessary to the safe and efficient performance of the job.” These guidelines, says Connell, comes directly from the EEOC.

Kevin Connell is available for comment on this subject. For interview inquiries, contact Sue Marriott at 1.800.689.2228 ext # 1100 or SueMarriott@AccuScreen.com.

About Kevin Connell:
Kevin G. Connell is a renowned professional background screening expert. He is recognized for his expertise on employment background screening, criminal record checks, workplace fraud, embezzlement, employee theft, resume fraud and negligent hiring in the workplace. Connell has spoken at numerous business, security & human resources conferences, including twice providing testimony before the Florida Supreme Court. He is widely quoted, has had several articles published in magazines, has been featured on television, including ABC-TV “Money Matters,” the Fox News Channel and has been interviewed on more than 126 live talk radio programs. Connell is a former founding Director of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS); he served on the board from 2003-2005.

About AccuScreen:
Since 1994, AccuScreen.com has been an industry pioneer, leader and expert in employment background screening, specializing in criminal background checks. Its reports are delivered to companies across the world in 2-72 hours.

Media Contact
Sue Marriott
SueMarriott@AccuScreen.com
410 S. Ware Blvd. Suite 607
Tampa, FL 33619
1.800.689.2228 ext # 1100

The Business Guide to Background Checks

What is negligent hiring?

Negligent hiring is based on the principal that employers have an obligation to protect their employees and clients from injury caused by their own employees. Employers have an obligation to protect their employees from the “foreseeable” acts of a fellow employee. Negligent hiring happens when a company fails to check references or conduct a criminal background screening prior to hiring the employee. In other words, a company has the responsibility of Due Diligence.

The term “Due Diligence” first came into common use as a result of the US Securities Act of 1933. For business purposes, “Due Diligence” is the effort made by an ordinarily prudent or reasonable party to avoid harm to another party. Failure to make this effort may be considered negligence.

It’s important that employers perform their Due Diligence by conducting a background screening on every employee hired. This should be done regardless of the size the workforce or whether law requires it or not. Ideally, prior to hiring a prospective employee an employer needs to perform a pre-employment background screening that includes a criminal records check. The employee should not start work until the background information is verified and a criminal background check is performed.

According to Kevin G. Connell, Founder and CEO of Accu-Screen, Inc., the most reliable criminal records information is found at the local courthouse level. Unfortunately, the processing of criminal records at this level is slow and inaccurate at times. Getting criminal background information off the internet, in order to save money, is also counterproductive. There is no way to verify that the information received in that manner is accurate or even applicable. By hiring an employment background search firm such as Accu-Screen, Inc. Inc. you will receive

-Experience:  Since 1994, Accu-Screen, Inc. has been a pioneer in the pre-employment Screening field.

-Speed: With a guaranteed turnaround time of 24-72 hours, Accu-Screen, Inc. delivers background reports consistently faster than the competition.

-Technology: Accu-Screen, Inc.’s Online System delivers a 24/7 paperless system to order and retrieve background reports.

Examples of Negligent Hiring

It is very important to do a pre-employment background screen on service, contract and even sub-contract employees. Some overlooked service, contract and sub-contract positions include:

• Taxi drivers
• Plumbers
• Pest Control
• Maintenance employees

If an employee will be contact with a customer or public it is imperative that he or she go through the process of a professional employment and criminal background screen. A professional employment and criminal background screen can help you avoid the possible following scenarios:

• A taxicab company was held liable for negligence in hiring a criminally violent driver who raped and robbed a woman in the presence of her two young children.

• A taxicab company was liable for a person beaten by a taxicab driver after paying his fare and leaving the cab.

• The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York awarded $1.5 million to a woman and her son who suffered physical and psychological injuries following a sexual assault on the woman by the maintenance man employed at the defendant’s apartment complex.

• An employer was held liable for the negligent hiring and retention of a sexually aggressive service employee with a criminal record who subsequently raped a female client.

You hear about these incidents all the time. You also wonder how and why these people ever got hired and how it could have been avoided. In many of the incidents, the employee had a history of violent or criminal behavior that would have been discovered through a pre-employee background screen by a professional screening firm. These situations can be avoided at your company when employers are pro-active in the hiring of its employees.

It is important to remember that there are positions that require employment background screening regardless of whether the position is a regular or contract position. For example:

• Elder care attendant
• Daycare provider
• Health care worker

On a side note, elder abuse lawsuits are on the rise. Cases involving long-term care facilities are based on negligence, willful misconduct or fraud by an elderly care attendant. Examples of abuse by health care employees:

• Deprivation of food or water
• Failure to prevent malnutrition
• Failure to assist in personal hygiene
• Unauthorized use of physical or chemical restraints
• Lack of pain medication, under medication or overmedication

Many of the cases stem from poor hiring practices throughout the long-term care facilities. This occurs when service employees are hired without a careful screening of their background and skills for this type of position. It can also occur when employees are promoted without verification of required credentials and training. These employees go onto to supervise and teach other employees poor and possibly dangerous working habits. The similar situation occurs for daycare and healthcare workers.

Consequences of negligent hiring

Most businesses have a hiring process that is followed for every job applicant. Typically the recruitment process entails the following steps:

• Application or resume′ submitted by applicant
• Phone screening of applicant
• Candidate is interviewed
• Management meets to make hiring decision
• References may be checked by Human Resources
• Job offer is made

This procedure would be fine if a third party such as an employment-screening firm checked the references. Additionally, a candidate should pass a criminal records screen. When a thorough reference and criminal screening is not made, or handled poorly, it can literally come back to haunt employers. The recruiting process should be handled like any other business deal. Hiring a candidate based on information on a resume’ and a good personality fit, should not be what seals the deal. Every bit of allowable and available information should be gathered before a job offer is made.

The fact is that many human resources departments do not have the time, resources or experience to do a complete employee background screen. For most employers, finding the most accurate and up to date criminal records information is very time consuming and confusing. Furthermore, there are privacy laws protecting job applicants that must be followed in order to avoid a discrimination lawsuit.

Some of the consequences of negligent hiring can result in:

• Lawsuits from injured or victimized employees or clients
• Wrongful termination lawsuits
• Loss of profits or sales
• Increased insurance costs
• Diminished business reputation

Lawsuits from injured or victimized employees or clients

Lawsuits can come from a variety of complaints from employees or clients. The most serious complaints include violence and great financial loss. This can involve an employee who caused another person physical or emotional damage. Although cases of fatalities in the workplace are not commonplace, the results of these incidents are devastating to the victims and to a business.

Wrongful termination lawsuits

A ploy used by unethical employees is the ‘wrongful termination” lawsuit.
This happens when an unproductive or troublesome employee is fired. In retaliation, he or she will file a lawsuit against the employer. The goal is usually to settle fast to avoid a hearing in court to settle the matter. These opportunistic employees usually have cases without merit. Yet, they know that some companies will just settle to avoid the expense of dragging on a lawsuit. Through careful screening of references, this type of employee can be avoided. It is not enough for employers to be aware of what is going on with their employees. They need to be aware of what their prospective employees have been up to in the past.

Loss of profits or sales

Hiring an inept employee can quite literally cost a company. It is important to have a candidate’s skills educational background to make sure they are fit to perform the job hired to do. It is equally important to do a criminal background screen to make sure the employee is an honest and ethical person. Be assured of these two aspects before making a hiring decision can save money and frustration in the future. Avoid hiring “poor functioning” employees that will drive you to the poor house!

Increased insurance costs

Increased insurance rates result from workers compensation claims. An employment records report will help identify and avoid “habitual” workers compensation claimants.

Diminished business reputation

Your employees are your company. Make sure you hire applicants who will make the best impression in every possible way. No one wants to conduct business with employees who are dishonest or violent in any manner. By obtaining a criminal background screening you will be able to decrease the likelihood of hiring an employee that will cause damage to your business or customers.

When employers fail to be pro-active in all area of their business, things can and will fall between the cracks. In some instances, these slips can be very expensive.

The expense of negligent hiring

A smart business owner will purchase different forms of insurance for the company and employees. Yet, sometimes that same businesses owner will hire people without insuring the business from perpetrators.

An unfortunate example is the recent story relayed of the story of an accountant who stole from his employers. The accountant was accused of stealing more than $375,000 from one of his clients rather than use the money to pay taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. According to court documents made available, the accountant was supposed to take care of payroll taxes for his employee and roughly ten of his employer’s staff at his dental office. The court documents say the accountant would prepare one check for each employee’s adjusted net income and one check for taxes. The documents also state that he asked, however, that the tax checks be made payable to his business, with the understanding he would send the money along to the IRS.

The dentist’s wife, who also works at the dental office received a letter from the IRS and soon found out no tax returns had been prepared or filed in her husband’s name in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. The total amount, more than $375,000, should have been sent to the IRS, but wasn’t. The court records indicate that a review of bank records show the accountant made numerous withdrawals from his business account for mortgage payments, concert and airline tickets and other personal uses.

The accountant has a prior criminal record. According to court records, in 1997 he pleaded guilty to stealing more than $250,000 from an 88-year-old legally blind woman for whom he was an accountant. He was only sentenced to four years of probation in that case.

Ironically enough an employment background screen that costs about $150 would have revealed the accountant’s prior criminal conviction. A smart business owner knows that the cost of something needs to be weighed against the end result. In this case the small cost of the background screen would have saved the dentist $375,000.

Then there are the situations where the actual figure can’t be calculated but it can equally cause a business financial loss. For example, if a company hires an employee that detracts sales from the company due to lack of skills, the actual loss is unknown but still occurs. Or there is the scenario where an employee is a poor performer due to personal issues, such as drug or alcohol abuse. This type of employee can literally drain the company of resources directly through theft or indirectly by lowering the morale of the company.

How to avoid negligent hiring

Sadly it has now become commonplace for some companies to assume they will eventually get sued by employees for one reason for another. It is true that a company or business owner can’t have control of all of the actions of its employees. Yet, steps can be and should be taken to prevent hiring risky employees. The goal of the employer should always be to minimize any potential harm to company assets. This, of course, includes employees as well as the finances of a business.

One of the best ways a company can avoid lawsuits from an applicant is by hiring a background search firm such as Accu-Screen, Inc. Inc. When you hire a reputable firm such as Accu-Screen, Inc. Inc., you also help avoid arbitrary hiring that may lead to a discrimination lawsuit.

Employers can be held liable for facts that are known or “should have been known” regarding an employee’s character or job-related experience. If you are aware, or have reason to believe your employee is unfit for duty, you can be held liable for negligent hiring. By retaining a qualified employment background screening company, you can avoid jeopardizing yourself and your business from this dangerous liability.

How Do I Choose An Expert Employee Screening Firm?

A full service firm such as Accu-Screen, Inc. Inc. will provide the most accurate and complete information on:

• Criminal Records
• Driving Records
• Drug Testing
• Social Security Number
• Employment
• Education
• Worker’s Compensation
• Licenses & Credentials
• Credit Profile

Criminal records

Accu-Screen, Inc. Inc. obtains criminal records by County and State (where available) in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Our analysis reveals that over 3% of the individuals we check have a felony record and over 7% have a misdemeanor. With our criminal record search, you receive a criminal history that is clear and easy to read, enabling you to make the right hiring decision.

Driving records

Accu-Screen, Inc. obtains Motor Vehicle Reports (MVRs) from the appropriate Department of Motor Vehicles to verify the applicant’s identity, histories of accidents, speeding tickets, reckless driving, suspended licenses, DUIs and DWIs. It is important to note that MVRs are not public records.

Drug Testing

Accu-Screen, Inc. is affiliated with a network of national laboratories that provide testing for legal and illegal drug usage. All testing is conducted through NIDA, DOT and HRS certified facilities and meets current Federal and State Drug-Free Workplace requirements. Additionally, we conduct previous employment drug test verifications as required by the FAA and the Department of Transportation.

Social Security Number

Accu-Screen, Inc. Inc. confirms the identity and validity of the number and its issuance by the Social Security Administration.

Employment

Our analysis tells us that over 43% of the applications that we process contain at least one falsification by the applicant. We verify the accuracy of employment history with emphasis placed on past job performance, employment periods, positions held, salary, rehire eligibility and reasons for leaving.

Education

The FBI estimates that over 500,000 people nationwide claim college degrees they never earned. We verify the applicant’s educational qualifications as well as the accreditation of the College or University awarding the degree.

Worker’s Compensation

Workers compensation information is released in compliance with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act. It provides a history of the individual’s work-related injuries that includes dates of accidents, nature of injuries and if the claim was upheld or denied by the state authority.

Licenses & Credentials

Accu-Screen, Inc. Inc verifies all professional licenses and claims of credentials. This ensures that your prospective employee may legally perform the work required for the position.

Credit Profile

In accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Accu-Screen, Inc. Inc. can provide a report indicating the applicant’s existing debt, payment history, judgments, liens, collections and/or bankruptcies.

There are many employee background-screening firms out there. Make sure to contact the firm’s customer service to get information on:

• Years of experience
• Fee for services
• Turnaround time
• Areas of expertise

Negligent hiring can be an expensive and frustrating experience. Fortunately, there are many measures employers and business owners can take to protect their business and employees. Having a pro-active attitude and having the right information during the recruitment of a new employee can make the difference between hiring a “star employee” or the “employee from hell”.

For more information on Accu-Screen, Inc. Inc. and how we can help you hire qualified and top-notch applicants visit www.accuscreen.com.

Felons Who Cross State Lines Pose Hiring Threat

According to a recent investigative series in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, between 1.9 and 2.7 million felony fugitives (including rapists and murderers) have eluded capture by crossing state lines.

Companies that unknowingly hire felons or fugitives put themselves at increased risk of embezzlement, fraud, lawsuits and workplace violence. Employers should be alert to the possibility that a fugitive criminal may be hiding in their workplace.

Corporations and hiring managers that engage employment screening experts can dramatically reduce their risk of hiring an employee with a hidden criminal record. Accu-Screen’s in-depth criminal background screening services can give employers that additional peace of mind.

Post-Dispatch reporters found a persistent problem with outstanding warrants across the country. If local or county police departments don’t enter all their warrants in the FBI database, fugitives not listed in the database can escape detection for their prior crimes.

“It’s alarming that so many criminals get away with their crimes and go on to victimize new people in another state,” says Kevin Connell, chief executive officer and founder of Accu-Screen. “Our on-the-ground criminal background searches result in a more accurate ‘criminal hit ratio,’ which prevents these law-breakers from endangering companies.”

Key facts about this national crisis include:

A statewide dragnet across Florida last month dubbed “Operation Orange Crush” led to the arrest of 2,497 fugitives, including those of 113 homicide suspects, 255 sex offenders and 55 gang members. The U.S. Marshalls led a sweep targeted towards the “worst of the worst” offenders. According to the Post Dispatch report, 35% of Felony Warrants in Florida are not entered into the FBI Database.

Organizers of Philadelphia’s “Fugitive Safe Surrender” program were astonished when 1,248 felons turned themselves in at a local church in mid-September. Out of the 1,248 participants, 424 of them were wanted on felony matters. The program was designed to encourage non-violent fugitives to settle their outstanding warrants.

More than one third of all felony warrants are not entered into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database checked by police across the country.

Local police often refuse to pick up fugitives from other states, even when they’re wanted for violent crimes.

“Corporations and hiring managers that engage employment screening experts can dramatically reduce their risk of hiring an employee with a hidden criminal record,” said Connell. “Accu-Screen’s in-depth criminal background screening services can give employers that additional peace of mind.”

Accu-Screen has created a complimentary white paper, “Felons Who Cross State Lines Pose A Hiring Threat,” so that hiring professionals may get additional information on this important topic.

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