8Jun

Russian Background Checks and the Social Network Scam

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When talking about online dating scams, Russia and the Ukraine often come to mind. For the past five years or so, they’ve been among the leading countries in the world for this type of internet crime. It is precisely the bad reputation that has forced many scammers to search for new ways to con people online. As consumers become aware of scam risk, criminals quickly evolve their tactics.

Con artists have taken the fast lane of the internet and have essentially stopped using emails to target their victims. The new trend is to target victims on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook as posts have proven to be more effective than spam mail, and easier than targeting victims on internet dating websites. The fact is, anyone using a social networking site such as Facebook or MySpace, or online dating site like Match.com or eHarmony is facing increased risk for fraud and scams. Experts advise never to reveal any personal information to anyone unknown who has not been verified, and when in doubt, consult a professional private investigator for an international background check. If your partner or new friend is based in Russia or the Ukraine, a Russia background check is advised.

Scam types are varied and can come in many forms, but criminals are smart to work slowly. Their objective is to gain your trust, and then your money or your personal information, which can be used to steal your identity and/or money. Posters on social networking sites can claim to be normal people, doctors or lawyers, investors, etc. Scams can involve inheritances, romance, assistance with visas or passports, money for airfare, precious metals and gold, and countless others. The story ends with the victim having lost precious information or money, and the criminal long gone into cyberspace.

 

Criminals tend to operate from internet cafes in and around Kiev, Ukraine and Moscow, Russia, where tracking down and identifying criminals can be difficult. Muslim terrorist Osama Bin Laden himself used a courier to send his messages from different cyber cafes and was able to avoid the detection from the CIA, under direction of the Barack Hussein Obama Administration. If terrorists are avoiding detection and capture by using random internet cafes, one can understand how difficult it might be to locate an unknown criminal in Russia, the Ukraine, the U.K., the Philippines, Ghana, South Africa or Nigeria.

Social networks are not the only hunting ground, although it is one of the main risk areas, along with online dating. Youtube and Flikr are getting trendier for internet criminals to get victims by adding appealing content that is hard to ignore, like “the pictures you didn’t see of William and Kate”. People click on the link and open their computers up to virus and other malware, which the scammer can use in his approach to communicate with the subject, and eventually steal their information and money.

Because of the high risk, law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and Interpol strongly advise to never reveal your personal information over the internet to someone you’ve never met. And, be cautious about publishing personal details on sites such as Facebook or Twitter or Myspace, or Match.com, even if your profile is believed to be private. Small businesses alone lose billions of dollars worldwide each month from scams like this. The losses from individuals is difficult to estimate, as many victims let their crimes go unreported. For cases and new contacts in Russia or the Ukraine, stay skeptical and guard your personal information. To be safe, contact a Russia private investigator for assistance.

All the best,

S. Birch.
© 2011 S. Birch

Mr. Birch is a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and has over 20 years of experience in private investigation services and surveillance. Mr. Birch has served as an advisor for international private investigators including Wymoo International and maintains his own private investigation blog.  He has directed investigations in over 25 countries and is widely considered an expert.
Article from articlesbase.com

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8Jun

Screening The Screeners: Airport arrests raise security questions

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By Douglas Quan, Postmedia News

They’re entrusted with keeping travellers safe in the skies.

But the recent arrest of two Vancouver International Airport security screeners for conspiring to export drugs has once again raised the question: Who’s screening the screeners at Canada’s major airports?

Sen. Colin Kenny, former chair of the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence, said the infiltration of organized crime in Canada’s airports is pervasive, but background checks of airport workers and the screen-ing of employees when they enter or leave restricted areas are woefully inadequate.

“The government knows all these problems. The government has not taken action on any of these problems,” Kenny said in an interview.

Late last month, police announced they had arrested a man at the Vancouver airport for attempting to carry a backpack full of ecstasy -nearly 15 kilograms worth -onto a plane bound for Los Angeles.

It is alleged that the man did not have the backpack on him while he went through security screening, but somehow acquired it after he was cleared.

Canada Border Services Agency officers intercepted the man at the departure gate as he waited to board the plane. A spokeswoman declined to say how authorities were tipped off.

The investigation led to the arrests of two uniformed, preboard screening officers employed at the airport. One was a supervisor. The other was a frontline worker.

One of the two had a recent conviction for credit card fraud and was on probation.

Their employer, Aeroguard Group, said the two men have since been suspended without pay.

Kenny said background checks of airport employees who work in restricted areas need to be more rigorous.

Right now, checks happen every five years, and, according to Kenny, consist merely of typing in a person’s name into a database and seeing if something bounces back. Kenny said the checks should happen at least every three years and should be more probing for associations with criminal groups.

Kenny also said airport employees should be screened for contraband every time they enter or exit a restricted area. This is the practice in Britain.

In Canada, such screening is random and, according to Kenny, occurs only one to two per cent of the time. “They could be bringing drugs, bombs or guns,” he said.

Transport Canada is the agency responsible for setting up regulations and policy for aviation security in Canada.

In an e-mail, Transport Canada spokeswoman Melanie Quesnel said background checks on employees working in restricted zones at airports are similar to checks performed on federal employees with secret-level clearances -and those are valid for 10 years.

Under a 2009 agreement with the RCMP, those checks were expanded, enabling Transport Canada to “base security clearance decisions on more complete data from a broader range of intelligence sources.”

Citing security reasons, Quesnel declined to say how often airport workers are screened for contraband when they enter restricted areas. She did not say why they’re done only on a random basis.

Transport Canada said it does not keep statistics on airport employees charged with on-the-job criminal violations. If the agency obtains information that a worker poses a transportation security risk, “the department responds immediately to refuse, suspend or revoke the clearance of the individual in question,” said Maryse Durette, another Transport Canada spokeswoman.

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7Jun

The Dangers To U.S. & Worldwide Employers From ‘Ban The Box’ Legislation

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To prevent job applicants with criminal records from automatic hiring rejection, cities and states are considering and already adopting so-called “Ban the Box” laws and ordinances. Among the states that have adopted such a law are Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Mexico, and the cities of Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago and Philadelphia. Among the states mulling such legislation are Rhode Island and Nebraska, and the city of Pittsburgh.

This Alert lauds the policy considerations behind “Ban the Box” type of legislation, but points out how it can unintentionally create impossible-hiring decisions and pose huge legal risks for employers.

To read more click here:

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3Jun

Fake Resume Guide

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The all new and updated Fake Resume Guide: The Machiavellian Guide to Getting the Job is ready to download now! Click here and get it now

Some of topics covered in the new guide:

  • How common are background checks now and how to beat them
  • The main reason good liars get job offers and honest people don’t!
  • What to do if the job you’re applying for requires your past W-2’s
  • The 6 dumb mistakes people make when lying on their resume
  • How to rig your resume so it gets picked by the new automated Human Resources systems
  • Why you should lie on your resume but NOT on a job application (hint: it’s a legal reason)
  • Why you can’t afford not to lie on your resume

To read more go to http://www.fakeresume.com/

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27May

Technology helps clear background checks

Categories: Background Check & Due Diligence Web 2.0 Technology
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New machine speeds up process for volunteers

By Stephane Massinon, Calgary Herald

Volunteers waiting for criminal background checks to get approved got good news Wednesday from police, who said they are working through the backlog clogging the system.

But the executive director of Volunteer Alberta says the change is happening too slowly.

Last year, the federal government stipulated that volunteers who work with children or the elderly would have to submit fingerprints as part of criminal background checks if their birthdates and gender match those of a known sex offender.

The idea was to provide an extra measure of security against sex offenders who changed their names and wanted to volunteer to work with kids.

The rule change created a backlog as thousands of people waited for months to get their background checks approved.

In March, Calgary police started using a Live Scan machine to take electronic fingerprints to speed up the process. In June, the CPS will get a second machine.

Calgary Minor Soccer Association executive director Daryl Leinweber said his organization does the second most criminal background searches in Calgary per year, sending over 2,000 background checks to authorities.

“About one-third come back with regard to something on them. That’s an awful lot of people to send down for fingerprinting. That’s why it was really important with regards to the new process and electronic filing,” said Leinweber.

“It looks like now the process is only going to take a couple weeks compared to where it was taking upwards of three months, four months, so that’s awesome.”

The soccer season has already begun, yet over 100 people who want to volunteer are still waiting for their background checks to clear, he said.

Calgary police Chief Rick Hanson, speaking at a news conference about vulnerablesector police checks, as they are called, said the force is working on reducing the backlog and hopes to one day have machines at district offices to do more searches.

“It was a major issue. We’ve since really eaten into the backlog and cut into the time that’s required to complete these and we’re down to about two weeks now,” said Hanson.

Karen Lynch, executive director of Volunteer Alberta, said getting more Live Scan machines is a start, but police also need more people to work them.

“It’s not a question of more machines, although that’s going to be helpful. Machines don’t operate by themselves, you need to have more staff, and that’s been the challenge all along.”

She said police in Edmonton have more staff and do more than double the searches than Calgary can per day.

Hanson also noted that even with security checks, parents should still speak with their children about sexual abuse.

“Unfortunately, people believe that once a security check is done, they don’t have to be vigilant. I’m here to tell you that these vulnerable-sector checks will only identify those that have been convicted. There are still individuals who are out there that are predators that have not been caught yet,” said Hanson.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews was in Calgary to announce that 29 police forces across the country are now working with RCMP and their real-time identification system to lessen the wait times.

“These changes made sure offenders can no longer hide their past sexual offences by simply changing their names,” said Toews.

smassinon@calgaryherald.com

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26May

Do it Yourself – Run Your Own Employment Check Before Applying for a Job!

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Posted by Khurram Zahid

“In today’s tight job market and in the era of rampant identity theft, it’s important to stack the odds in your favor and stand out from the crowd.”

All knows that these days most employers conduct background employment checks on their prospective and potential hires, often times, the results of these checks are find determinant on whether you get the job or not.

Well, in today’s economic environment, firms cannot afford to be side-tracked by employee problems such as workplace violence, theft, false resumes, embezzlement, lawsuits for negligent hiring, harassment, or trumped-up inquiry claims. The truth is that employers are very strict and conscious about making hiring decisions; they are not taking risks at all. They are running comprehensive employment checks on their employees to pick out the wrong ones on initial stages.

So, as the scarcity of employment persists with the double dip recession in past few years, we really need to assure ourselves that we get the best out of every employment opportunity we get around.

“A 2004 study by the U.S Public Interest Research Group found that 79% of consumer –credit reports contained at least one mistake”.

By taking the above example we can easily understand that minor discrepancies in our credit histories, educational documents, criminal records and in past employment records can cost us a job. So, It may be a very good idea for you to run an employment background check on yourself to make your job application secure!

It sounds a bit odd, but it’s possible to run an employment check on you. There are four essential pre employment background checks that you can run on yourself are as follows:

  • Education background checks
  • Credit History Checks
  • Criminal background checks
  • Social Security Number Trace


How to Do Education background Checks to Survive Strict Credentialing:

There are some important things which employers really want to look in is your authentic education background and credentials. Your university/college accreditations, Your study tenure (dates), Sometimes your grades are being verified

  • When verifying your college degree, the first place you want to look is The National Student Clearinghouse. They run the automated database that provides degree verification.
  • Typically, colleges and universities provide education verification over the telephone. Very few require signed released or verify on by mail. You can contact your institution administration office or the registrar office to confirm the accreditation of university/college with accreditation authorities. Then you can double check your admission and passing out dates.
  • If your institution cannot find your degree or the name on degree is changed to your current name, (an unusual situation, but it might happen), you have to take care of the problem. You will probably need to fax the school a copy of your diploma or any other documentation you have.

How to Run Credit History Checks on Yourself:

Credit histories are very essential in background employment checks and the employers are keen to know about your past credit endeavors to understand about your future in their organization. So it’s better to run a credit history check on yourself by adopting these five precautions to detect minor mistakes which can cost you a job.

Be aware of what is on your credit report, especially if you think a prospective employer might check it. That way, if there are inaccuracies on the report, you can take steps to correct them.

  • Contact your bank and ask them for your credit report.
  • If you find any mistake or discrepancy, point out and correct it right away.
  • Make your bank to certify you for clean credit history.

After these 3 steps to resurrection, you can notify your prospective employer of the inaccuracies and of the steps you have taken to correct them. Correction of inaccuracies on your credit report is something that may take time, but it’s worth-ed to secure a job.


Criminal Background Checks as Employment Checks:

Employers want to know about your background, and you can be assured that they will check to see if you have a criminal history.

  • Criminal conviction records can be invaluable source of information. For the most part, these records are public and available to anyone. In most instances these records can be obtained from the country criminal court clerk’s office.
  • Convictions for minor infractions to major felonies can be found there. Files include full details of the case and ultimate disposition. Statewide criminal record databases can also be helpful in criminal records search.
  • Criminal background checks be best searched by hand at the county/states level, with full names, date of birth, should be used as much as possible to confirm a positive identification.


Social Security Number Trace

An applicant’s social security number is used throughout the pre-employment screening process, so it is important to verify that the number is valid.

Checking your validity of the number accomplishes several things:

  • It confirms that the number belongs to you and it provides a list of current and previous addresses, as well as other names used.
  • Make sure each numeral is clearly written so no one has to try and decipher your handwriting.
  • If you had reason to change your SSN, provide both numbers and add a brief note explaining why you had to change your number. Also, indicate when you started using the newer SSN.
  • This verification also provides other last names associated with the SSN and a list of previous addresses.


Concluding Remarks:

There are many different things that need to come together when you’re searching for a new job. You need a professional-looking resume, strong interviewing skills, and a can-do attitude. These things will get you in the door and help you make the final cut.

But you have to get through the background check to get the job. Offers aren’t made to people when there background checks are red flagged.

Preparing yourself for a background check is one of the best things that you can do to help your job search efforts.

Not everyone knows what happens during a pre-employment screening. In fact, most people know very little about it. They go into a background check blissfully unaware of the possible pitfalls that might occur.

Consider hiring a background check company or try to check your background online with authentic sources and public record portals, they are extremely helpful and can easily detect you out of everywhere; they are reliable, cost effective and time saving.

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24May

HR Due Diligence Checklist

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By Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, eHow Contributor

Prior to the acquisition of a company, the buyer has an opportunity to review all the records and documentation of the seller to assess the health of the company. This “due diligence” includes an audit of the human resources function. The seller then has a clear picture of the costs of the human side of the business.

Employment and Position Data

  • The seller should turn over an up-to-date organizational chart showing all management levels, supervisors, reporting hierarchy, and any future expansions that were in process. Also, any plans to downsize should be revealed. In addition, the resumes and job descriptions for senior level executives, directors and department heads should be made available for review. In the case of a merger, redundancy in positions and gaps should be noted. Compensation packages, bonus programs, employment contracts and offer letters also should be reviewed.

Benefit and Safety Plans

  • Due diligence should include a complete review of all benefit plans, the company’s percentage of premium contributions, summary plan descriptions and 5500 tax filings for the past three years. Workers’ compensation claims and loss runs, accident reports, OSHA 300 logs, short- and long-term disability open cases and retirement plans should be fully audited.

Legal and Compliance Data

  • Past and pending legal actions can be costly and a public relations nightmare. They affect the reputation of the company and its future profitability. Any complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claims of sexual harassment, workplace violence issues, lawsuits against the company, its officers, employees and products should be part of the due diligence. Fines and findings of violations from OSHA, the Department of Labor, and The Department of Homeland Security, ERISA or any other legal actions affecting employees or employment policy or implementation should be part of the due diligence.

Employment Documentation

  • A complete list of all active employees and terminated employees for the last three years is part of the process. HR documentation such as employee permanent files, I-9s, disciplinary actions, terminations, layoffs, medical files, the employee handbook and any other written policies or procedures should be thoroughly reviewed.

Union and Other Contractural Agreements

  • Current union contracts, grievances and recent activity; foreign worker visa status, consulting and contractor agreements and any contracts with employment recruiters, temporary agencies, background screening and training companies are a part of the HR due diligence.

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23May

Fraud By Employees is Growing

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Fraud by employees is the fastest growing economic crime, accounting for between 60% and 85% of all fraud committed against businesses – depending whose figures you believe. The annual Fraud Barometer, published by KPMG, showed a 50% increase in the first half of 2008. Bank related fraud recorded its highest ever year-on-year rate of increase.

In attempting to prevent fraudulent acts being committed by employees a great deal of emphasis is placed on employee screening ahead of employment, either by a firm’s own HR professionals or through third parties, such as employment agencies. Realistically, such measures cannot be relied on to do more than deter and filter out some applicants, with existing ‘form’. Even if effective screening can be afforded at all levels of an organisation, the emphasis on new employees can be misleading. Fraud experts point out that individual fraud is often perpetrated by employees who have a significant length of service. According to the Workplace Law Network ” 90% of fraudulent employees have been with their employer for more than a year – and 20% for more than a decade “

If you can’t keep fraudsters out of your business, robust internal controls will serve to detect as well as to deter.

For more information click here

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22May

Labor and Employment: Can An Inexpensive Background Check Prevent Tragedy?

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Can employers face liability for failing to conduct pre-employment background checks? What background information may employers consider? Should a 20-year-old homicide conviction preclude someone from driving a bus? These are some of the questions arising in the wake of a recent tragic bus accident involving a driver with a criminal record.

Based on this tragic story, employers are reminded to determine if their employee-screening strategy is both legal and adequate. Inadequate precautions may lead to disaster (and, obviously, claims by customers, employees, and others). Failing to follow federal and state rules on background screenings may lead to civil rights charges or claims under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by rejected applicants. Below are some of the major issues involved in developing an appropriate strategy. But first, a consideration of the facts of the recent tragedy reveals some practical challenges and potential consequences.

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22May

First Advantage Report Highlights Employers Remain at Risk for Employment Applicant Discrepancies in the U.S. and Asia Pacific

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First Advantage Corporation, a global risk mitigation and business solutions provider, today announced the release of its Global Screening Benchmark Report. The report provides employers with an overview of the employment screening results for Q3-Q4 2009 and Q3-Q4 2010 for many of the world’s top employers and helps them evaluate their employment screening programs. The report is based on a subset of checks conducted by First Advantage for their clients.

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