Dentists: You Can Avoid Embezzlers Embezzlement in Dental Offices

Dental offices are often susceptible to embezzlement and one of the main reasons is because these offices are too busy to keep track of the paperwork and money incoming to each office. Unfortunately, unethical staff members are well aware of this major flaw and take full advantage of the situation.

It is important to understand how to decrease the chances of embezzlement in a dental office. One of the surest ways to help avoid embezzlement situations is to avoid hiring any employee you feel uncomfortable interviewing. This is especially true for potential employees who have a spotty work history or lack of solid and reliable references.

Below are three experiences as expressed by real dentists and an orthodontist who unfortunately experienced an embezzlement situation in their business:

“My office manager (of course) was setting aside insurance checks, then picking
out cash that matched the amount of the checks. The checks were never deposited
into the patients’ accounts, so the bank deposit balanced. She did this for almost
10 years, for a total of at least $700,000. Her litigation is currently pending.
I had two other people counting the money and I have excellent evidence against
her. The insurance accounts past due eventually became overwhelming and she
was finally caught.” (Michigan orthodontist)

“My newly-hired office manager often took my office deposits in locked bank bags
to the bank. Away from the office and in secret, she took the key for the locked bag and
removed the cash. In addition, she took patients’ checks and using her ink-stamp, she
repeatedly stamped over my endorsement, showing her name as the endorser.
The bank teller gave her cash for my checks. Over 186 times from the same teller. I
successfully went after her and she received 13 months in prison. She got out of
prison and was hired by the state of Georgia, again handling money. There she
allegedly embezzled $1.5M.” (Georgia dentist)

“An employee took about $13k during a 12-month period. Police are working on
the case now. She has since resigned and is working for a new dentist that never
called to check her references.” (Kentucky dentist)

Unfortunately, for these dental offices, they had to experience workplace embezzlement before they could put in place preventative measures. In many cases, an employee had a history of theft in the workplace that the employer was either unaware of or unconcerned about. To help prevent such cases from reoccurring, it would only take an employment background screening with a criminal records search to uncover past convictions or inconsistencies at a prior position and workplace.

Dental offices are also easy targets for embezzlers because for the majority of the time dental offices do not conduct reference checks. This may be due to the fact that many offices are small businesses operating without a strong or any type of human resources department. For small companies, such as dental offices, it is extra important to invest in pre-employment background screenings as an extra precaution. While embezzlement is devastating for all sizes of companies, it is especially destructive on small companies, which could easily be put out of business.

The experiences revealed above help stress to dental offices the importance in taking more proactive methods in employment hiring, including pre-employment background screening. For more information on how to protect your office against embezzlement give us a call at 800-689-2228.

How to Keep Your Employees From Becoming Millionaires At Your Expense

What is considered the “aspiring millionaire employee?”

An “aspiring millionaire employee” is a type of employee that is looking to gain some easy money through lawsuits against his/her employer. An employee like this may even have a history of suing employers to support lofty ambitions of wealth!

Pre-employment background checks are one of the best ways to prevent and avoid hiring unethical employees. Companies should be prepared to conduct pre-employment background checks on all prospective employees before they consider permanent hiring. In a short interview, either on the phone or in personal, it is practically impossible for employers to readily identify unethical applicants. To ensure you have covered your bases, it is a smart idea to conduct pre-employment screening on all potential candidates.

You are best to entrust pre-employment screening to professionals who are equip with the resources to quickly deliver an accurate and current employment background report. Employee screening firms such as Accu-Screen.com offers pre-employment screening and other research services to aid companies in the important decision of employee hiring in a timely manner.

Modus operandi of “gold digging” employees

“Gold digging” employees use three common ways or strategies of attempting to gain money from a business. These include lawsuits involving worker’s compensation, sexual harassment and discrimination.

Fraudulent worker’s compensation claims can become a major problem for employers in several ways. Most importantly, when an employer is sued under Worker’s Compensation, the company’s future Worker’s Compensation insurance rates will increase. This is a huge, unnecessary expense for companies. Other issues include the expense of finding temporary replacement for the “injured” employee. If a company chooses to use a staffing agency they have to be prepared for a 50% increase compared to what a regular employee would earn. In other words, if an employee normally makes $25.00 per hour, a company would have to pay a staffing agency $37.50 per hour. Apart from losing an employee, companies do not need this added expense!

False claims of sexual harassment can be a trying experience for any company and its employees. In this situation, you will be dealing with at least two employees – the alleged victim and the alleged harasser. Regardless of the outcome, the morale of fellow employees at the company will most certainly be affected. This can lead to reduced profits and loss of good employees.

Discrimination lawsuits often occur when a poor employee is on the way out due to bad performances or other issues. In retaliation, he/she will bring forth a claim of discrimination. The “aspiring millionaire employee” will claim protection under one of the Protected Classes in an attempt to save their job. The following are considered Protected Classes and persons cannot be discriminated against based on these characteristics: race, religion or sect, color, national origin, age, sex or gender, familial status, sexual orientation, disability status, veteran status, political affiliation, and genetic information. Considering the wide span of this group, many bad employees can fit into at least one of these categories. It is important to realize and remember that employees heading out of the company will often file outrageous claims. They probably do not even have real intentions to follow the case the entire way through. Instead, they usually hope to settle and, in the end, the employer pays the price of these false accusations.

How an Employment Background Screening Firm can help save you money!

An employment background-screening firm can assist you by providing accurate and current information on prospective employees. An employer who is armed with this type of information can make sound and appropriate hiring decision to help avoid unnecessary expenses such as raised worker’s compensation rates, legal fees and extra staffing expenses.

Press Release- AccuScreen “16th Annual Top 7 Resume Lies”

In A Tough Job Market, Resume Lies Reach New Levels Of Absurdity, Reports AccuScreen.

As job seekers have become more desperate, the number of people lying on resumes and job applications has spiked to 46% according to

AccuScreen’s 16th annual ‘Top 7 Resume Lies’ report.

TAMPA, FL — Resume lies, falsification rings, diploma mills, and a host of other outrageous tactics have reached record levels as the job market tightens. For 16 years, AccuScreen, a leader in employment background screening, has recorded trends in resume falsification. According to internal data, 46% of people present false information on their resume or job application — a 3 point increase over 2008.

“The unemployment rate has risen to historically new levels. As people have become more desperate, the lies have become more creative, harder to trace, and ultimately, more detrimental for employers,” said Kevin Connell, CEO of AccuScreen.

AccuScreen publishes an annual ‘Top 7 Resume Lies’ report and offers it free of charge to employers. From buying credentials from diploma mills to exaggerating past experience and pay, the report reveals the red flags hiring teams need to be aware of when screening applicants.

The recently released ‘Top 7 Resume Lies’ report is now available free to download.

According to Kevin Connell, the most common resume lies involve:

• Falsified employment dates to cover up gaps or jobs from which the applicant was fired
• Exaggerated job titles and responsibilities
• Fake experience at ‘ghost’ companies
• Covering up criminal records
• Inflated salaries
• Falsification of education credentials
• Falsification of professional credentials

Connell says that these lies can severely chip away at the integrity of an organization. At best, employers can overpay for unqualified people that erode the position of a company in its industry. At worst, frauds can con their way into companies and gain access to trade secrets and financial information.

“Employers must be vigilant about screening who they allow into their company. Job seekers too must be aware that employers are scrutinizing their applications and resumes more than ever — embellishing doesn’t impress, it’s a sure way to quickly lose your candidacy for the position,” said Connell.

To download the ‘Top 7 Resume Lies’ report, visit AccuScreen at http://www.accuscreen.com/.

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 (http://www.accuscreen.com/about/our-president-ceo/) 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 check services, education verification, license verification, and other essential pre-employment screening services. 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

http://www.accuscreen.com

Ask the Expert

I would like to know how other organizations conduct background checks. We use an agency and only check on Felonies for administrative staff. We rely on the applicant to disclose where they may have lived and then we search those counties or states as appropriate.  This process is dependent on the applicant disclosing all places lived which may not always happen. Is there a central database that could be searched? 

First, you state that you are only checking for Felonies. That’s a problem because there are many Misdemeanors that you are missing. As a general guideline, the only difference between a Felony and a Misdemeanor, is the amount of drugs, merchandise or money stolen, or what type of weapon was used in the criminal act. Misdemeanors can be violent, such as Simple Assault, Sex Offenses, Weapons Violations, Child Abuse or Domestic Violence. Or Misdemeanors can be classified as non-violent, such as charges of Fraud, Theft, Gambling, Drug Possession, DUI, and Prostitution. Additionally, many defendants are arrested on a Felony charge, but if they have a half-decent public defender or attorney, the Felony can be pleaded down to a Misdemeanor. Again, if you are searching for Felonies only, you are missing out on a lot of important criminal case information.

Secondly, you are relying on the applicant to be truthful as to where he lived or worked in the past, that would be sufficient, if all applicants told the truth, but we know that that is not the case, conservatively 1/3 of all job applications and resumes are falsified. I sense that you already know that, and you would like to verify that the applicant is being truthful on where he lived in the past, so you can search all applicable jurisdictions. My recommendation would be to do a social security number and previous address verification. This SSN screening inquiry serves as a good locator tool and is helpful in pointing out all jurisdictions to search for Criminal records.

Finally, you ask is there a central database that you can search. I would need to know a little bit more about the type of organization that you represent, but I will make the assumption that you are a private employer and you, like most companies, cannot access the central database of the FBI or National Criminal Information Center (NCIC), which are only available to law enforcement, or other industries regulated by the Federal Government, such as banks. The only database that you could search, is what is called a National Criminal File, which is a database complied by private companies into a private database, which is a good search to supplement your current criminal record search, but not as a stand alone search. The database is good when primarily used as a locator tool, similar to the SSN Inquiry, because it may point out to you other jurisdictions that the applicant has been arrested or convicted of a crime in the past. Whether you add this service or not is up to you, but at a bare minimum, you would want to do a Criminal Records check either on a county by county basis, or state by state, or a combination of the two, going back the past 7 years, and searching those jurisdictions that the applicant has lived or worked.

Kevin Connell
CEO of AccuScreen.com

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.

Who Are You Allowing In Your Home?

Who are you allowing in your House?

Sue Weaver contacted a major department store to have her air ducts cleaned. She didn’t know they were sending a twice-convicted sex offender into her home–and that he would later rape and murder her.

Her sister started a nonprofit organization to raise awareness about this little-known danger. The Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E. was created to promote Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment:

Here are a few other victims, courtesy of the Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E. website:

• Dr. Kim Fang, a plastic surgeon, was murdered by ex-convict Mesa Kasem (and an accomplice) while working as a delivery man for an auction house. Kasem’s first conviction–for firearms offenses–was when he was 17. He was also a gang member. There was no background check.

• Melissa Danielle Jennings was murdered by the apartment complex maintenance man, Calvin Oliver–a convicted rapist. Oliver’s criminal record, spanning almost 20 years, included armed robbery, burglary, robbery by force and credit card fraud. At the time that he was hired by the apartment complex, TGM Ashley Lakes Inc., there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest on theft check charges. He is sentenced to life in prison for murder. There was no background check.

• Mary Ruth Bales, 80, was beaten to death in her home by an ex-convict, Wesley Purkey, who was working as a plumber. He had spent the last 25 years in prison for various violent felonies, including aggravated robbery, burglary, assault and kidnapping. There was no background check.

• Dr. Kerry Spooner-Dean, a pediatrician, was robbed and stabbed to death in her home by Jerrol Woods. When hired by America’s Best Carpet Care, Woods was on parole following a 12-year prison sentence for armed robbery. He had multiple robbery convictions dating back more than 30 years. He was convicted for life without parole. There was no background check.

• Ramona Jean Williamson was strangled to death by Fred Furnish, an employee of Tech Dry. After killing Mrs. Williamson, Furnish used her debit cards to withdraw money from her bank accounts. Furnish had several convictions in Kentucky and Indiana for theft, burglary, receiving stolen money by fraud, and assaulting a prison guard prior to being hired by Tech Dry. There was no background check.

• Terina Ferminick, a minister’s wife, was raped and stabbed to death in the rectory by carpet cleaner, Giles Nadey. He had two previous felony convictions. There was no background check.

We talked to Kevin Connell, founder and CEO of Accu-Screen, Inc., a background screening agency, and author of Background Checks for the Job: What Every Job Applicant, Employee and Employer Needs to Know About Them Right Now, for tips on keeping yourself and your family safe.

• Ask the company if they run criminal background checks on their employees. “Many times, they’ll say they’re bonded and insured,” he says. “But this just means you might get your money back if the employee steals something. It doesn’t mean they run a criminal background check.”

• If a company doesn’t run background checks, don’t do business with them. Otherwise, you could be unwittingly letting a criminal or murderer into your home. Criminals often use service jobs to find their next victims. Connell says that in prison, they often teach criminals trades like plumbing or duct-cleaning that will later bring them into people’s homes.

• It is always a good idea to have another adult in the house when any kind of service is being done. “Invite a friend or neighbor over for coffee, or make sure your husband is there,” says Connell. “If a lot of people are coming in and out, a criminal might be deterred.”

• Don’t think your children are going to protect you. “Attackers often threaten to harm the children if the woman doesn’t do what he wants,” Connell warns. “They use kids against you.”

• Do not hesitate to say “no” if you do not feel safe when the worker arrives. Tell the person an emergency has come up and you’ll have to reschedule.

Have you ever felt unsafe with a service worker in your home?

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.

U.S. Companies Report Alarming Increase in Employee Fraud

“Infinity screening” can protect businesses during the economic downturn, Accu-Screen reports

Chalk up one more negative consequence of the economic downturn: employee fraud and thefts are on the rise.

Employees facing increased financial hardships (such as having a spouse who was laid off, a sick family member or a home at risk of foreclosure) are more likely to take illegal actions to augment their incomes.

“The stress of these types of situations has lead to violence in the workplace, embezzlement and identity theft,” says Kevin Connell, chief executive officer and founder of Accu-Screen. “Employee larceny and other illegal acts can weaken or even ruin a corporation.”

In a February 19th Wall Street Journal article on this trend, Simona Covel reported: “Small companies are especially vulnerable because they often lack stringent internal controls to prevent fraud. Sometimes managers of affected companies attribute lost funds to lower sales – never even suspecting foul play.”

The following facts show how widespread this problem is:

* American organizations lose an average of 7 percent of their revenues to occupational fraud, according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

* The costs of fraud in the U.S. are estimated at $6 billion annually.

* Embezzlement has been the No. 1 financial crime for the past four decades; almost one-third of all company bankruptcies can be attributed to embezzlement.

* Fraud, identity theft and property thefts account for 60 percent of a company’s annual losses.

* Common employee frauds include false invoicing, check forgery, theft of cash and goods and setting up ghost employees or ghost vendors.

Many frauds are conducted by trusted long-term employees who are in positions of responsibility, such as bookkeepers and accountants. Companies should watch out for employees who are living a lifestyle that seems beyond their means, as well as employees who never take a vacation or try to prevent others from seeing the firm’s books or accounting software.

While most hiring managers understand the benefits of screening new hires, it’s less common for companies to continue screening their current employees. This can be a costly mistake. There is no guarantee that an employee who is hired with a clean criminal and credit record will remain that way.

Periodic credit and criminal background checks, also known as “continuous screening” or “infinity background screening,” have been shown to be effective risk management tools for companies and a major deterrent against potential fraud.

“The ‘employee from hell’ can kill a business in a New York minute,” Connell says. “Pre-employment screening reduces the risk of a bad hiring decision; post-employment screening minimizes the risk to which a company is exposed over the long term.”

By hiring a reputable background screening firm such as Accu-Screen, businesses can protect their company from fraud and help ensure their survival during the current economic crisis.

AccuScreen Webinar Confronts Misinformation about National Criminal Database Search

Complimentary presentation tackles misleading information surrounding the National Criminal Database Search and provides employers the truth about databases searches in the background screening process

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) September 23, 2009 — AccuScreen Inc. (http://www.accuscreen.com), an employment background screening firm, will host a free Webinar presentation at 3PM Eastern, Friday, September 25, 2009 titled ‘The Truth about the National Criminal Database Search’ featuring ceo and founder Kevin Connell.

The National Criminal Database Search is also known as the National Criminal Index, the National Criminal File, a Multi-Jurisdictional Criminal Search, a Criminal Super Search and a host of other names. According to the experts at AccuScreen, many background screening companies improperly market this database search to business and consumers.

“People are selling this database as if it’s the only thing you need to be doing, and it’s wrong” says Kevin Connell of AccuScreen.

Friday’s Webinar will answer questions about the National Criminal Database Search, including:

• What does this search do and what does it not do?
• Why do certain well-known background screening companies who sell this search to businesses and consumers not want the truth of this search to be known?
• What are the sources of information that make up these national records?

“This practice has gone by too many names and confused too many people,” adds Connell.

This Webinar is part of a continuing series created to provide objective, actionable, and important information about the proper role and practice of background screening in the hiring and employment process.

In celebration of their 15th anniversary, AccuScreen will provide this educational Webinar free of charge. This one-hour event qualifies for HRCI Continuing Education credits.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/982790923. Or call 800-689-2228 to register by phone.

About AccuScreen Inc.
Since 1994, AccuScreen, Inc. has been an industry pioneer, leader and expert in employment background screening, tenant screening, nanny screening and date screening, specializing in criminal background checks. Its reports are delivered to companies across the world with turnaround times from Instant to no more than 72 hours. CEO Kevin G. Connell founded the company with a burning desire that companies hire the right people from the start, resulting in greater cost control and better safety in the workplace. Mr. Connell served as a Founding Director of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), and he is a frequent Radio and Television Guest, appearing on ABC and Fox. Kevin also serves as a national speaker and expert in negligent hiring, resume fraud, employee theft, and embezzlement. AccuScreen, Inc. is a C.A.U.S.E. Certified Background Screening Company.

About Kevin Connell
Kevin Connell has over 15 years experience as CEO & Founder of AccuScreen.com, a Global Background Screening Company, specializing in Criminal Background Checks. Mr. Connell was one of the founding Directors of the National Association of Background Screeners (www.napbs.com); he is an internationally-known expert on Background Checks, Occupational Fraud and Embezzlement, as well as a speaker, published author who has appeared on over 73 Television and Radio shows including Fox News and ABC’s Money Matters.

Lucia Bone of The Sue Weaver CAUSE Speaks on Critical Screening Measures for Employers and Home Owners during Live Webinar

PRESS RELEASE:

Complimentary presentation and interview to take place during National Safety and Security Week for business owners, hiring managers and consumers on the topic “De-Mystifying Background Checks: What Every Person, Family and Business Needs to Know Right Now”

Tampa, FL /  August 24, 2009 — AccuScreen Inc., an employment background screening firm, will host a free Webinar presentation and interview with Lucia Bone, Executive Director of The Sue Weaver CAUSE, Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment at 3:00 PM Eastern, Wednesday August 26, 2009.

The topic of the presentation and interview will be “De-Mystifying Background Checks” a message for both businesses and consumers, which will focus on the importance of background checks on contractors and employees who enter people’s homes to perform routine home improvement and maintenance tasks.

“Many consumers have a false sense of security when they see that a home repair or service company is bonded and insured,” according to Kevin Connell, CEO and Founder of AccuScreen, will moderate the Webinar and interview Ms. Bone.

“Those designations do not speak to the safety precautions taken in the hiring process,” adds Connell. “The CAUSE Certification, which includes a comprehensive criminal background check, provides consumers with the reassurance they need before engaging a local service provider and inviting them into their home or onto their property.”

The Sue Weaver CAUSE launched the CAUSE Certification on August 27, 2008 on the anniversary of the death of Sue Weaver who was raped and beaten to death in her suburban Orlando, Florida home on August 27, 2001. Six months prior to her death, Sue had contracted with a major department store to have the air ducts in her home cleaned. One of the two men sent to perform the work was a twice-convicted sex offender on parole who later returned to rape and murder Sue Weaver.

The CAUSE Certification is a program designed to better protect consumers and employers by offering a means of hiring safer employees, contractors and subcontractors. Annual criminal background checks are required on all employees, contractors and subcontractors before becoming CAUSE Certified.

AccuScreen, Inc. and The Sue Weaver CAUSE are promoting this as part of the United We Serve Readiness for Safety and Security Week, August 24-30 aimed at supporting the efforts of those involved in disaster preparedness and crime prevention.

“The background screening principles we will discuss in the interview are applicable to employers in all industries, so we invite everyone to join in this important discussion” says AccuScreen’s Connell.

All employers and interested consumers are encouraged to register to attend this complimentary event by calling AccuScreen, Inc on 1-800-689-2228 or going online at http://www.accuscreen.com.

Visit www.sueweavercause.org to learn how to protect yourself, your business, and your family when it comes to hiring employees, contractors and subcontractors. To learn more about criminal background checks, visit www.accuscreen.com.

About The Sue Weaver Cause

The Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E., Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization brings awareness and education to consumers and employers regarding the necessity of criminal background checks on all service employees, contractors and subcontractors hired to work in or near clients’ homes.

About C.A.U.S.E. Certification

The Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment (C.A.U.S.E.) Certification campaign was launched August 27, 2008 as a nationwide consumer safety campaign to identify companies who perform criminal background checks on workers sent into consumers’ homes. The launch date marked the seven year anniversary of the death of Sue Weaver, who was raped and beaten to death in her suburban Orlando home by a worker sent to her home to clean her air ducts. Although he was a twice-convicted sex offender on parole, the company did not do a background check before hiring him. For more information on C.A.U.S.E. Certification please contact The Sue Weaver CAUSE at 877-450-5812 or email certification@sueweavercause.org

About AccuScreen Inc.

Since 1994, AccuScreen, Inc. (http://www.accuscreen.com) has been an industry pioneer, leader and expert in employment background screening, tenant screening, nanny screening and date screening, specializing in criminal background checks. Its reports are delivered to companies across the world with turnaround times from Instant to no more than 72 hours. CEO Kevin G. Connell founded the company with a burning desire that companies hire the right people from the start, resulting in greater cost control and better safety in the workplace. Mr. Connell also served as a Founding Director of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), and is a frequent Radio and Television Guest, appearing on ABC and Fox. Kevin also serves as a national speaker and expert in negligent hiring, resume fraud, employee theft, and embezzlement.

AccuScreen CEO Will Discuss Resume Lying on Fox 13 News Tampa Bay

In a segment to appear during the Fox 13 Late News, Kevin Connell of AccuScreen addresses the increased incidence of resume falsifications and provides advice for job-seekers and employers.

Tampa, FL / January 14, 2009 – AccuScreen Founder and CEO Kevin Connell will appear today on the 10 p.m. edition of the Fox 13 News in a segment focusing on resume lying among job-seekers. Following its broadcast the segment will be available for archived viewing on the Fox 13 website.

AccuScreen is a leader and expert in employment background screening, specializing in criminal background checks. Connell will speak on the most common resume lies that his firm finds in their work with employers. The most common resume falsifications involve these key pieces of information:

• Dates of employment
• Job title (inflated rank)
• Criminal records
• Salary level
• Education (e.g. bogus degrees from diploma ‘mills’)

• Professional license (e.g. MD, RN, CPA, etc.)
• Self-owned business (e.g. ‘ghost’ company)

“In a challenging economy, people tend to lie more,” says Connell. “I regularly teach classes and seminars about the routine causes of fraud in the workplace. These same elements are at work in resume lying and employers have a measure of control in addressing these factors.”

According to Connell, job-seekers must be made aware that in an especially competitive job market, employers are intensely scrutinizing employment backgrounds, education credentials, and other key information contained in their resume or application.

“It’s a buyer’s market for hiring managers and recruiters,” says Connell. “Our clients, who know that 43% of resumes we screen include a discrepancy, likewise know to be vigilant and thorough in their background screening measures.”

Those who wish to view the Fox News Segment during the on-air broadcast should tune in at 10 p.m. The segment will be available for viewing online. AccuScreen will provide a link to the recorded broadcast on their website.

For additional information about resume lying and matters of employment screening, AccuScreen provides an eBook, “The Business Guide to Background Checks” available on the company blog for download here: http://www.backgroundcheckscenter.com/

About AccuScreen, Inc.

Since 1994, AccuScreen, Inc. 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. CEO Kevin G. Connell founded the company with a burning desire that companies hire the right people from the start, resulting in greater cost control and better safety in the workplace. Mr. Connell also serves as a national speaker and expert in negligent hiring, resume fraud, employee theft, and embezzlement.

AccuScreen CEO Will Discuss Resume Lying on Fox 13 News Tampa Bay

In a segment to appear during the Fox 13 Late News, Kevin Connell of AccuScreen addresses the increased incidence of resume falsifications and provides advice for job-seekers and employers.

Tampa, FL / January 14, 2009 – AccuScreen Founder and CEO, Kevin Connell, will appear today on the 10 p.m. edition of the Fox 13 News in a segment focusing on resume lying among job-seekers. Following its broadcast the segment will be available for archived viewing on the Fox 13 website.

AccuScreen is a leader and expert in employment background screening, specializing in criminal background checks. Connell will speak on the most common resume lies that his firm finds in their work with employers. The most common resume falsifications involve these key pieces of information:

• Dates of employment
• Job title (inflated rank)
• Criminal records
• Salary level
• Education (e.g. bogus degrees from diploma ‘mills’)
• Professional license (e.g. MD, RN, CPA, etc.)
• Self-owned business (e.g. ‘ghost’ company)

“In a challenging economy, people tend to lie more,” says Connell. “I regularly teach classes and seminars about the routine causes of fraud in the workplace. These same elements are at work in resume lying and employers have a measure of control in addressing these factors.”

According to Connell, job-seekers must be made aware that in an especially competitive job market, employers are intensely scrutinizing employment backgrounds, education credentials, and other key information contained in their resume or application.

“It’s a buyer’s market for hiring managers and recruiters,” says Connell. “Our clients, who know that 43% of resumes we screen include a discrepancy, likewise know to be vigilant and thorough in their background screening measures.”

Those who wish to view the Fox News Segment during the on-air broadcast should tune in at 10 p.m. The segment will be available for viewing online. AccuScreen will provide a link to the recorded broadcast on their website.

For additional information about resume lying and matters of employment screening, AccuScreen provides an eBook, “The Business Guide to Background Checks” available on the company blog for download here: http://www.backgroundcheckscenter.com/

About AccuScreen, Inc.

Since 1994, AccuScreen, Inc. 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. CEO, Kevin G. Connell, founded the company with a burning desire that companies hire the right people from the start, resulting in greater cost control and better safety in the workplace. Mr. Connell also serves as a national speaker and expert in negligent hiring, resume fraud, employee theft, and embezzlement.

Next Page »