Background Check
Free Background Check News
Take a Page from Patrick Swayze and Look into a Free Background Check
Patrick Swayze's recent death from pancreatic cancer came as a shock to many. Though most people either have had cancer or know someone affected by cancer, everything from Swayze's background, from his age and celebrity status, to his swift decline in health, came as a surprise. Appearing in the simulcast Stand Up to Cancer, Swayze urged people to get regular checkups and to donate money towards cancer research. While Swayze's point of early prevention is especially true for cancer, it should be a message that people apply to other facets of their lives.
Whether it's hiring a new nanny, or picking a handy man for your kitchen renovation, checking out all of the background information can help you make better and more informed decisions. Sure you could rely on a friend's advice, but with so much information at your disposal why would you limit yourself to just an acquaintance recommendation? While free background check sites like Yelp, Angie's List, and other search engines are fantastic for initial research and price comparison, the legitimacy of that information always comes into question. To get all of the facts, a person should really use a background check that looks at public records.
By looking at an in depth public records report you are more likely to piece together critical information that could prevent you from making a devastating mistake. Every day there are reports of pyramid schemes and other scams which rob people of thousands of dollars, affecting people young and old, wealthy and poor. MSNBC.com recently reported that there were 2,350 mortgage fraud cases in 2009, up almost 400% from five years ago. Since many of these schemes initially appear legitimate, they are not likely to go away any time soon. By performing a free background check, you can take a positive step towards prevention.
It's always better to be to be prepared, so try a free background check the next time you need to know more.
Investigate Your Neighborhood with a Background Check
When 29 year old Jaycee Lee Dugard walked into a Northern California police station, officers had no idea that she was the same person who had been kidnapped nearly 18 years earlier. The Dugard tragedy is a painful reminder of how unsafe even the safest neighborhoods can be. According to the US Department of Justice, each year 797,500 children are reported missing. The background of Dugard's case is unique given the length of time she was held hostage and the fact that there appears to be no connection between her captors and the Dugard family. On average only 115 kidnappings a year involve someone a child has no relation to. While it's impossible to predict a crime such as a kidnapping from occurring, there are steps that you can take to protect you and your family.
Starting with a formal background check on a nanny, teacher or neighbor is great first step towards protecting yourself from making a mistake. The Internet has hundreds of free background check resources such as Google, backgroundcheckgateway.net, and your state's Megan's law directory. Though this search won't give you the whole picture, it may give you insight into the type of people you may have to deal with.
Should you want to find out more, it's always advisable to use a paid service that can perform a background search of multiple directories. Don't cut your people search sort by only searching certain channels for information. Use a full-fledged people search today and you can help make sure you won't make any mistakes in the future.
Should People Question Dr. Conrad Murray's Background?
The death of Michael Jackson came as a shock to many and has been shrouded in mystery since the news broke. With reports that Jackson's autopsy revealed a mix of prescription drugs such as OxyContin and the anesthetic Propofol, questions and criticism are being directed not at Michael Jackson, but Dr. Conrad Murray, the person who administered the Propofol the night he died. Dr. Murray's failure to properly administer the drug is just one example of how medical mishaps occur every day. The San Francisco Gate recently reported that in the United States over 200,000 people die each year from preventable medical injuries and infections. These deaths have been a result of anything from a pharmacist selling the wrong pills to surgeons removing an incorrect organ.
Most revealing about the San Francisco Gate article were not necessarily the types of accidents that occurred, but rather how preventable the deaths were. Accidents are certainly a part of life, however had some of the people performed formal background checks on their physician; they may have chosen a different provider. You would never think twice about questioning a used car salesman while buying a car, so why would you not think to question the person suggesting shoulder surgery?
To ensure that you are receiving the best medical care, one should always perform a background check on their doctor or pharmacist. A full background check may reveal pivotal facts and can help you make a more informed decision about your medical provider. While a diploma on the wall will let you know where a person studied, a background check can help raise important red flags.
Jon and Kate Demonstrate the Need for Background Checks
The popular television show Jon & Kate Plus 8 will start airing episodes dealing with the separation and divorce of Jon and Kate Gosselin. Given that nearly 50% of American marriages end in divorce, the TLC show, which is popular among married women, will likely attract an additional audience of divorcees. While there are numerous reasons why people get divorced, dishonesty is one of the most prevalent and often avoidable. The Gottman Institute estimates that around 25% of couple mediation groups' credit infidelity to their divorce, and that 69% acknowledged an unanticipated but previously existing issue. If you're thinking about getting married, to avoid any future mistakes, you may want to perform a background check to get all of the information your significant other may not be telling you. Whether it's finding out how much debt a person has accumulated, or if they have a criminal record, performing a formal background check can provide you with details your partner may be hesitant to reveal.
While levels of divorce fluctuate based on variables such as age and income, the prevalence of online dating should continue to play a significant factor in not only statistics regarding marriage and divorce, but also relationship fraud and crime. In a report about online dating, MSNBC estimated that nearly 40 million Americans use online personal ads each month. Though online dating is a revelation for those who don't feel comfortable in the conventional dating scene, dating websites can also harbor professional scam artists. By being able to easily disguise your identity, and hide key details about yourself, simply "Googling" a person is really no longer a sufficient enough background check.
Despite the fact that divorce rates continue to climb for certain age groups, not all is lost for those looking to tie the knot. Modern day couples are waiting longer than ever to marry or have children - two variables that significantly impact divorce rates. The advancement of online dating has also created an atmosphere where location is no longer a factor and where people are free to search for people with similar interests and values. Getting all the facts will significantly help you avoid bumps along the road. By better preparing yourself with a complete background check, you can easily prevent mistakes that others have made along the way.
Don't Invest Your Money Without a Background Check
The name of Bernie Madoff has become synonymous with one of the most scandalous investment scams in the history of Wall Street; it is known as a Ponzi scheme for the Italian immigrant who invented it.
Madoff, a former chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange, founded the Wall Street firm Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC in 1960, and had run it until his arrest in December, 2008. During his undisputed reign of almost 50 years, Madoff defrauded thousands of prominent investors of over $65 billion. He was convicted of 11 counts of fraud and given a maximum sentence of 150 years in June of 2009. Can you believe no one ever questioned him? How is it possible for people to entrust their money to a complete stranger without so much as a background check?
I am telling you all this, so you keep an educated eye on your investment portfolio and make sure your hard-earned money is legitimately invested. Of course, before you even entrusted this money to your broker, you have known and trusted him for years, right? Um ... so did thousands of Bernie's victims. I bet they are kicking themselves for never doubting his word. I hope it's because Madoff and his clientele were Old School, and online background checks were not available to the public until recently.
However, we 21st century investors would have no excuse if we were duped in this day and age. What would it hurt to do an occasional background check on your financial advisor? What if since you hired him, he's received numerous citations from the SEC? What if another client sued him for fraud and he was convicted? Wouldn't you want to know about it? It's your right - exercise it.
Pending Amendment to Gun Law will Use Background Check to Keep Terrorists Away from Weapons
It seems that almost every day we are assaulted by a new alarming story about yet another way our laws have failed us. A new report issued as a result of an investigation conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) just informed us that individuals on the government's terrorist watch list have purchased firearms hundreds of times in the past five years; one even obtained an explosives license.
How? Why? That was my initial shocked response too. Well, here is the glaring incongruity the audit found: federal law only mandates that a licensed firearms dealer perform an FBI background check for a potential buyer, but even if there is indication that the buyer is on a terrorist watch list, the dealer can't legally prevent the purchase. If the person is an illegal immigrant or has a criminal record, then the dealer has the power to refuse the sale, but if it's a terrorist watch list, it just isn't enough. This makes no sense! There's got to be a way to stop supplying dangerous weapons to persons who would use them to terrorize peaceful populations.
Thankfully, Senator Lautenberg of New Jersey is crusading in the name of closing the "terror gap". He has just submitted a new piece of legislation, which will give the U.S. attorney general the power to utilize a background check in a whole new way and prevent the sale of assault weapons and explosives to potential terrorists. Lautenberg is angry at the gun lobbyists, blaming them for the fact that our gun laws protect the rights of terrorists above the safety of regular people. The Justice Department is currently reviewing the bill.
As straightforward as it may appear, the gun lobbyists are fighting the bill proposing the background check amendment. They claim that the watch lists are inaccurate and often contain names of innocent people, erroneously blacklisted.
Background Check Gateway concludes its three-part mini-series presentation For the Love of the Baby. Need to catch up? Check out Part 2 from last week.
Part 3
Connie Nelson resurfaced in a sleepy Southern town far away from home. She now used her own name again, and her new neighbors thought she was a nice enough person, a doting mother, if a bit overprotective, never letting baby Serena out of her sight. But who could blame her? That little girl was just precious. They suspected the father may have abandoned them, refusing to marry Connie, but didn't want to pry.
Connie and Serena Nelson were enjoying a blissful existence together. Having a baby was everything Connie imagined, and so much more! She could spend hours covering her little darling with small kisses, nuzzling her behind the ear, inhaling deeply the delicate baby scent, tickling her, listening to her throaty laugh, seeing love in her innocent eyes. It was all worth it.
Connie didn't know how long they would be together. She hoped forever, but suspected the mean, hateful ones would come looking soon, begrudging them their happiness, wanting to take away the joy, end it all because they were jealous; that's right, jealous is what they were! Well, they could never separate them now, and she would never let them have her sweet little munchkin, that's for sure. She was on to their evil plans, and she was prepared.
Meanwhile, Mr. Carmine, the bereaved husband and father, would not rest until the murderer and kidnapper was found and brought to justice. He hadn't given up hope of finding his daughter alive. It didn't take long to put two and two together. He'd recalled his poor wife mention her new friend the nurse who was so nice to take care of her whenever he was away on business. At the time he'd wondered why she never came around when he was home. Why, oh why didn't he follow his hunch to look into it then? Now it all made sense, but it was too late.
He found Annette Marcing's phone number in the address book, but she was long gone, having left no trail. Then came the call from Dr. Robeson. As luck would have it, the good doctor admitted that a while back he'd thought he glimpsed a fleeting resemblance to an old fat psychotic patient in the new pretty nurse, but thought he may be going a bit batty himself. Now, considering the patient's obsession with having a baby, and the nurse's coincidental disappearance into thin air around the same time, there may just be something in it after all. Dr. Robeson gave Mr. Carmine the patient's name. After that, running a background check on Connie Nelson and tracing the records to her present whereabouts, didn't take long.
When Connie heard the police at the door, she calmly retreated into her and Serena's cozy hiding place in the attic. They knocked and threatened, eventually breaking in the door, while the two sat in their favorite rocking chair enveloped in loving tenderness. Too bad they had to go now, but they wouldn't be separated for long, they belonged together. She could hear those fools ransacking the house downstairs. Connie kept rocking and quietly singing Serena's favorite song, the baby contentedly sucking her formula laced with a lethal dose of a sedative. As she felt the overdose she took slowly taking hold, Connie reflected on her life. She had no regrets. This was love in its most pure form, and she felt blessed to have known it. She felt sleepy and content.
Today, Background Check Gateway continues with Part 2 of its three-part mini-series presentation For the Love of the Baby. Need to catch up? Check out Part 1 from last week.
Part 2
Two years have passed. On a sunny spring day, patients and families at the maternity ward of the County Hospital were returning the friendly smiles of the young nurse who was making rounds on their floor. No one who knew Connie Nelson could possibly recognize her in this petite, pretty blonde. Connie had made sure of that. In fact, she was no longer Connie; her name was Annette Marcing.
Her transformation began with a gastric bypass, tremendous weight loss and plastic surgery to tighten her skin. The wad of cash her no-good father left her had finally come in handy. While in recovery, she attended nursing school online, under her new name. The process of transformation was excruciatingly difficult, and going through it completely alone made it even harder, but knowing that her reward awaited spurred her on, and made it all worth it. Watching her dream slowly become reality inspired her to overcome every obstacle.
She subsequently got a job at the same hospital where she was last treated as a fat psycho. Of course, the hospital had done a background check on Annette Marcing, as part of the hiring process; no one was the wiser that she had also been a patient once upon a time ... "What would they think if they knew?" she smiled to herself. Everyone - from doctors to patients - agreed that Annette was friendly, sweet and helpful. She was compassion itself, holding the hands of mothers whose pregnancy or birth were more difficult than normal, always eager to help, to be a friend and caretaker. Everyone, that is, except that old busybody Robeson. She'd caught him staring at her funny once or twice, and has been steering clear of him since then.
Connie was so fixated on her plan that it never occurred to her that now that she has undergone such drastic physical transformation, she could easily meet a man, marry, and have a baby of her own, but it never even occurred to her to deviate from her original goal. When Leslie Carmine came in for her first appointment, Connie-Annette instinctively knew it was time. Throughout Leslie's pregnancy, she hovered over the emotionally fragile girl, whose husband was out of town for work a lot, made frequent house calls, nursing her back to health when she wasn't feeling well.
It went on for nine months. Leslie was carrying a little girl, and her doctor was concerned that she was still in a breach position, carefully bringing up the subject of Caesarean Section during her routine visit that afternoon. Leslie called Annette crying that night, clearly scared, and her good friend was soon over, holding her as she cried and voiced her fears, consoling her over her husband's absence, feeding her hot soup, cooing with her over the ultrasound pictures from that afternoon's visit.
Afterwards, when the soup and the sedative in it made her fall asleep, Connie was ready. She agreed with the doctor that the C-section was best, and performed one quickly and expertly. After cleaning up the baby and swaddling her, she took a few moments to bask in the glow of the mutual unconditional love she'd dreamt of for so long. Then she gave the mother a lethal injection, and walked out of the house into the dark street carrying the baby in her arms. The Greyhound station was not too far. She paid cash for a ticket, boarded a cross-country bus with her new daughter, and never looked back.
Stay tuned for the conclusion of "For the Love of the Baby" next week.
Background Check Gateway - Presenting New Mini-Series:
For the Love of the Baby
Preface
You must be wondering why we at Background Check Gateway would suddenly decide to talk about babies. Actually, as you are about to see, there is a direct connection between a baby - your most precious possession, if you will - and a background check for anyone trying to get close to you and your treasure.
This story is based on actual events. It will demonstrate how a timely background check may have saved the lives of a trusting young mother and her poor defenseless infant from being deceived and harmed by a cunning criminal.
For the Love of the Baby
Part 1
Connie Nelson was not a happy person. She lived alone on the outskirts of a small Midwestern town, subsisting on a small disability income. Being overweight made her disabled, caused her to keep to herself. Although she's lived there all her life, she knew almost no one, and had no friends. She felt it was her destiny to push people away, to give them the creeps. They had no idea that underneath this grotesque mound of flesh, there beat a gentle heart, yearning to love and be loved.
But that never came to pass: even her mother must have hated her, since she chose death just to escape from her; her father drank, beat her, willing her to die, too. She wasn't going to give him the pleasure though: she watched him die first. And now, at almost 500 pounds, there was no chance any man would ever find her attractive, or be brave enough to be seen with her in public.
Connie never went out. She had her groceries delivered, and hid inside the safety of her home. Her main connection to the outside world was the small television set in her bedroom. Her favorite shows were those reality shows about pregnant women giving birth to cute little babies. She could watch them for hours, the mothers' big, awkward bodies and huge swollen abdomens giving her comfort, making her feel less unattractive, filling her with hope that if their husbands could love them looking like that, someone out there could possibly love her too. And the babies! The tiny little bundles of joy, their trusting eyes full of unconditional love for their mothers from the moment they came into the world; there just wasn't anything quite like it, the most pure love that existed on this earth.
Lately, another daily show was beginning to get her undivided attention. It was a religious sermon, and somehow or other what that preacher was saying was starting to fill her heart with hope. He kept saying that God loved everyone equally and had a divine plan for them all, even for her. It suddenly occurred to her that God could make her pregnant, if he wanted to. Oh, if she could only have a little baby of her own, she'd love it so much, and it would love her back. Yes, that was the most perfect plan, and God will help her!
She began to wonder how soon she would become pregnant. Why, it could be there was a baby living inside her already: it was hard to tell. Connie was convinced she was beginning to feel the baby move deep inside. She wanted to take good care of it, make sure it's healthy. Those women on TV went to see the doctor who showed them their babies on the ultrasound screen. She wanted to see her baby, too. She'd have to go see a doctor soon.
Connie made an appointment with Dr. Robeson, an Ob/Gyn at the County Hospital. On the day of her appointment, she was so excited, she couldn't sit still. She was about to see her little baby! When she met with the doctor and told him her amazing story, he kept looking at her strangely. He began explaining to her that what she had was Pseudosyesis, or hysterical pregnancy.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing! She insisted he was wrong, begged him to give her an ultrasound, and then he'd see! He finally gave in. When Connie saw her empty womb on the monitor, with no sign of a baby, she began to weep and couldn't stop all the way home from the hospital. They all thought she was crazy, just didn't understand how badly she was deceived. She knew now that God didn't love her: like everyone else, he'd let her down! Only babies could love unconditionally, and she wanted one so much! Guess it was now up to her to find the way to have one. She began to work on her slightly amended plan ...
Stay tuned for more of "For the Love of the Baby" later this week.
Background Check Goes a Long Way in Controlling Illegal Guns
The annual United States Conference of Mayors opened in Providence, Rhode Island this week. At the conference, over 400 mayors represented Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bi-partisan coalition founded in 2006. Today, the coalition represents over 56 million Americans. Mayors Against Illegal Guns were thrilled by a resolution passed at the conference; it truly supports their cause: removing illegal guns from the streets of their cities.
The resolution challenges Congress to make significant revisions to current gun-related laws. To begin with, it requests an amendment to amendments - Tiahrt Amendments, that is. That's the infamous piece of legislation that prohibits police from accessing critical gun tracing information. Actually, the mayors don't want it amended; they want it revoked.
The resolution also insists on passing new legislation to revise the background check system and close the loopholes that allow violent criminals and gun traffickers to get their hands on illegal weapons.
Based on tightened system requirements, sales reps at gun shows and gun store employees will also have to pass a background check. This measure is guaranteed to end firearm sales currently held by gun dealers and prevent terrorists from buying firearms.
One can only hope Congress will heed these words of wisdom and make the legislative revisions that will protect the public from illegal gun violence. What peaceful citizen would not support these excellent safety measures based on common sense? No one should be able to get their hands on a weapon without some sort of assurance that they won't use it for public harm. It's rather simple, really: want to play with guns? Prove yourself a responsible citizen and pass a background check.
No Background Check - No Gun!
Do you know about the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)? The purpose of NICS is to conduct investigations of potential buyers of guns and explosives. In essence, it protects peaceful citizens from the danger firearms can pose were they to fall into the wrong hands.
NICS was initiated by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993. The FBI has been running the system from its Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia since 1998. Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) - the stores or dealers selling guns - call the FBI with requests for instant criminal background checks. The potential weapon owners must have NICS' approval. Anyone with a criminal record trying to buy firearms gets denied on the spot. In the past ten years, out of 100 million pre-purchase background checks more than 700,000 resulted in denials.
Lately, the lovers of firearms have been grumbling louder, and for good reason: thankfully, the screws have been tightening. Now, only the most trustworthy and stable few who have passed a background check and can be held responsible, are able to buy dangerous weapons.
No Mere Background Checks for Society's Finest
Police and fire departments have a reputation of employing society's finest men and women. These civil servants are held up to the highest standards taxpayers have come to expect, especially in emergency situations.
That is the reason behind the multiple vacancies that are common in these departments nationwide. At first, this discrepancy may strike one as a little strange: after all, at a time when so many unemployed people are looking for jobs, it shouldn't be that hard to fill these positions. Yet, it's not that simple, because in this case, the caliber of suitable people far exceeds common expectations for qualified applicants.
These job applicants must be dedicated and trustworthy to the extreme, without a blemish on their past history, physically fit, and have the right personality. After all, they are the ones to come into people's homes when disaster strikes. The candidates who get the job must be able to handle crisis and extreme stress while offering compassion to those in need. They must know it's a lifetime commitment and expect to deal with heart-wrenching tragedies, trauma and death, then go home and resume their personal lives.
The selection process includes many grueling steps. The hopefuls must first pass an extensive background check, a psychological evaluation, a physical agility test and a standardized written exam. Once they make it successfully through all these stages, the real selection process begins on a much more personal level, until finally only the best few get invited to a second interview. It's not uncommon for this process to take up to a year, and only the most committed few are willing to wait that long, which also helps with the process of elimination and final selection.
Knowing how carefully police and fire departments choose their personnel should really put our minds at ease; we are getting the best of the best to take care of us. Still, one can't help but feel a little sorry for them, what with all the grueling obstacles they must conquer to get the job. In comparison, almost everyone else has a much easier time getting hired. We ordinary mortals complain about the mere background checks we must pass to get a job. Coupled with the knowledge that these unsung heroes only make in the mid-30s after ten years on the job, the degree of commitment they invest in their careers really starts to sink in.
ID Authentication Must Precede Background Checks
A recent incident at a North Carolina Liberty Tax franchise indicates that consumers should use discretion when hiring a paid professional to prepare their tax return.
A tax preparer temporarily hired during the busy tax season was arrested after she forged the bank account routing information on a clients' income tax return and stole their refund. In fact, during the time she was employed at Liberty - from January 14 to March 13, 2009 - she got away with robbing seven clients before her machinations were revealed. By the time she was arrested, the 23-year-old managed to spend over $7,500. The branch owner personally reimbursed each victim for the losses.
The victims will now think twice before they entrust another service provider with personal information; yet, they shouldn't have to. They have the right to reasonably expect the tax preparer to deliver its end of the contract and safeguard its clients' information. Because of the sensitive nature of its services, the firm must ascertain that its tax preparers possess a strong moral fiber and a sound background. Consequently, the first question authorities had for Liberty Tax is whether they conducted a proper background check.
Turns out, when Angela White applied for the job she used the alias Angela Chigo-Chiguila, which explains her clean background check. This indicates that additional steps must be taken prior to the background check, to ascertain the authenticity of candidates' ID. Of course, consumers are still expected to take reasonable precautions:
- Before selecting one, always screen potential tax preparer firms with the Better Business Bureau and ask for references from long-term clients.
- Don't be intimidated to interview tax preparers and find out if they have an established, effective process for background checks.
- Keep a paper trail; make sure you get and keep a copy of your tax return signed by you and your preparer, and never sign blank forms.
The management of Liberty Tax announced that they are taking appropriate precautions to protect their clients and ensure this kind of problem does not occur in the future. Let's hope the first thing they do is implement revisions to improve the effectiveness of background checks.
Background Checks Slow Down White House
I read an interesting editorial online this morning, and have a bone or two to pick with the author. He is dissatisfied with the "tedious, intrusive and time-consuming" process candidates for top presidential cabinet positions must submit to, and bemoans the still-vacant Treasury seats. Mainly, he laments the requirements for extensive background checks.
While I personally abhor bureaucracy, even I must admit I understand the full seriousness of the process the special task force appointed by the Office of White House Personnel must undergo. Mind you, the author concedes that so far the recruitment efforts have proven to work well, because they "have placed highly competent people in top-level jobs". Ah, so the process must be working! Anything worth doing is worth taking time for, no pain - no gain, nothing is perfect, people are our most valuable resource, etc. etc. The truisms are nonetheless true. Given the recent history of corruptions, scandals and terrorist acts, can such serious appointments be possibly given less scrutiny?! I think not! Not only is it vital to ascertain that nothing in the candidates' background checks can potentially harm the president, these people are appointed to serve the nation, and serve it well. The Obama administration can't afford to screw this up, given all the adversity it inherited from its predecessors.
The columnist is surprised that there are extremes found amongst the hopefuls: on one end distinguished civil servants welcome complete strangers to their intimate life details, on the other - convicted felons attempt to hide past transgressions, only to be cast off by the background checks. Hold on! Isn't that why we unfortunately must put everyone under the microscope, to eliminate the undesirable element? How else does he propose to mitigate the applicant rift?!
My opponent also fears that countless numbers of qualified persons will elect not to undergo the scrutiny. I am sorry to hear those highly qualified applicants lack the dedication to go after their dream job because they are afraid of a few difficulties. Perhaps we don't want these individuals working for our government, because these jobs aren't likely to be easy either. The writer commiserates with the applicants: "Consider your own life from the time you reached maturity and ask whether you want some things you regret having done to make the front page of the Washington Post." Well, that's why we the common folk do not aspire to fill the highly politically sensitive government positions; the people who traditionally groom themselves for such careers must take responsibility for their choices, or face being considered unfit for the job.
Finally, the author complains that the Obama administration has an awful lot on its plate, what with the wayward Congress on its hands and the understaffed departments, unlikely to fill until at least June. In the meantime, the bureaucrats are in charge, and he worries that unless we find exceptional, politically astute appointees, the new staff will continue to rubber-stamp whatever the bureaucrats recommend. I'd say that's yet another good reason to stick to the painstaking, scrupulous examination of every candidacy. After all, successfully passing background checks is just the tip of the iceberg; the author himself states that these employees are also selected based on experience and suitability, party service, voting history, campaign contributions, etc. What more can the White House do? Yet, the writer thunders: "There must be a better way to run a government than this!" Then why don't you suggest one, smart ... shall we say aleck?!
Priests are Not Subject to Background Checks
Contemporary churchgoers have special concerns these days. With the number of disturbing cases of priests molesting children coming to light in recent years, the question is how to maintain the level of mutual trust traditionally enjoyed by preachers and their flock of parishioners? Moreover, how to make sure that this trust doesn't cost them the well-being of their children? Today's educated consumers that fill churches across the country want to know more about the process of filling pastoral vacancies. More to the point, many are raising the question of background checks with search committees, whose members are dubious about taking these measures.
Recently, a couple of bloggers have been discussing the case close to home. A small-town Missouri pastor is about to be sentenced for first-degree child molestation and sexual exploitation of a minor, and the community is clamoring for new solutions to this old problem. The point brought up by these bloggers resonates well with many local parents: who will replace the pastor and how do they know that their children will be safe with his replacement? After all, corrupt or disturbed preachers have been known to migrate from church to church and exploit the members. The best, though disappointing, solution they were able to propose is for children to always have a witness nearby when meeting with the pastor.
What?! This is supposed to be a relationship based on total trust; otherwise, what is the point?! Churches must get with the times and make background checks mandatory for priests, pastors and ministers, so parishioners don't have to protect themselves and worry about the safety of their families. How many more children must be sacrificed before these meek worshippers stand up and demand that their church leader, whose salary they pay, be cleared through a background check, so they can sleep at night again? You decide.
Instant Background Checks Protect the Vulnerable
Have you heard? Seattle Children's Hospital has a new and improved security system. Since its implementation in the past two weeks, Children's has identified and confirmed four sex offenders, of whom three were refused entry and the fourth was escorted by security while he visited a family member.
The new system identifies sex offenders and other potentially dangerous individuals by simultaneously performing a criminal background check and scanning the visitor's photo ID. The instant results make it ossible to clear every visitor on premises and achieve total security. Visitors then receive time-sensitive ID stickers to prevent ID fraud. Not only does the ability to integrate instant background checks into the system protect patients and personnel, it also greatly reduces management's risk and liability.
Now, that's good news. We don't want sex offenders wandering around a children's hospital. It really is awe-inspiring how quickly technology produces new ways to keep us protected. If you think about it, there really isn't any other way but to know more about those who surround us, and fast. People used to live in small towns and knew everything about each other, and the dangerous element was cast out into the wilderness. Nowadays, the big city is the wilderness, the concrete jungle where one can easily get lost in the crowds, maintaining total anonymity. Hence, cities have a lot more crime and need improved measures to combat it, like instant background checks. And certain places, like hospitals, have even more responsibility for the safety of its often-feeble patients, especially when they are children.
Run Background Checks on Scammers Before They Run One on You
In case you didn't know it yet, our economy is in a deep recession. With hundreds of thousands of layoffs around the country, more people are looking for jobs than anyone can remember in recent history. In recent years, job search methods have become increasingly electronic - faster and more convenient for both job seekers and job givers - so most people are searching and applying for jobs online.
Unfortunately, as with almost any trend, in spite of numerous advantages, new problems arise as well. With so many people looking for work, many who would rather commit fraud than find a job are looking for ways to cash in on the grave situation. There is no lack of ingenuity: new job scams are surfacing on the Web every day, slick enough to fool even the most educated consumers.
The tricksters hope to utilize background checks and credit checks as a way to obtain personal information for identity theft. These relatively new concepts have gradually become an inherent part of the employment process, and although most jobseekers know that, few understand the rules and laws behind them. That's what the crooks find attractive, trying to cash in before the public is sufficiently informed.
One jobseeker recently tried to find work on CraigsList. An ad for a receptionist in a dental office caught her interest, but the ad failed to mention the name of the employer, only that it's a family medical clinic, and instructed to email 'Mallory' for more information. The applicant's email elicited a response e-mail requesting a credit card number for a background check. Apparently, it was this company's policy to conduct a background check prior to an actual interview. That seemed strange, and the woman wanted to know where this office was located and who would be privy to her personal information. She decided to do more research and found the same ad in every major city, with faithful 'Mallory' as a contact around the country. When she tried to reach the job poster again, the listing was gone, and no one responded to further email.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reports a striking increase in fraudulent job listings, and is issuing a new warning about Craigslist and other job hunting websites. The FBI reminds all jobseekers: know your rights and the rules of the game. The criminals are mainly hunting for credit cards, bank accounts and Social Security Numbers. Do not give out this information unless you are dealing with a known employer in person. Don't allow desperation to cloud your judgment: it is illegal for any employer to run a background check until you receive an explicit job offer.
Background Checks Weed Out Convicted Felons from Police Reserves
Like it or not, background checks are rapidly becoming a way of life in our society. And why wouldn't we like it? If you have nothing to hide, hide nothing. Transparency for everyone in everything is where we are headed in business and personal interactions, and most law abiding citizens will and do benefit from that. As with everything else, there are obviously pros and cons associated with this development. Pros, however, far outweigh the cons, which is becoming apparent from various examples surfacing in the media and our daily lives on a frequent basis.
Recently, the Ringling, OK Police Department has discovered that one of its reserve officers hired to serve and protect the population, is a felon with multiple convictions. Residents of Ringling responded with outrage and angry questions for the Chief of Police. Some wanted the chief fired, along with all of his reserve officers. Although it didn't go that far, a lot of red flags are being addressed as a result, and ultimately that is the goal.
The reserve officer's criminal background discovery was purely accidental. While participating in tornado relief efforts in another area, a local police officer recognized him as a former felon. The Ringling City Council's biggest question, of course, remains: how did a three-time convicted felon infiltrate the ranks of the most trusted safety guardians, and allowed access to a gun?!
As it turned out, the background check was not administered in their county; rather, it was done in another county, more than twenty miles away. The Chief of Police justified it as being more convenient, "on the way home".
A reminder about background checks: they are not an exact science, but a rather involved process that often requires changing strategy based on the specifics known about the subject. County-level background checks are the most accurate, casting the most precise net. Obviously, in this case doing it in the "right" county would have made all the difference.
Ringling Police Department is currently working on a comprehensive background check policy, to ensure proper hiring procedures. They assure the City Council they hold population safety above all else, and the new procedures will enforce the due diligence necessary to demonstrate their improved dedication.
Background Checks - Not Always a Catch-All
Recently, health officials in Los Angeles County were appalled to find out that an ex-cop convicted of rape was hired - not once, but twice - to work in public hospitals. Gariner Beasley was convicted of raping two women "under the color of authority" in 1992, while on duty as a Los Angeles police officer. He was fired in August 2008, weeded out by a county-wide audit, which revealed 11% of county hospital staff had serious criminal records.
However, 48-year-old Beasley found his way back in, referred to another hospital by Mediscan Staffing Service for a short-term contract. When discovered in February 2009, Beasley was fired again. The blame fell on a supervisor who failed to do a "Live Scan" background check for convictions in accordance with county policies. Officials stated that "any policy is only as good as the people who ensure and comply with that policy."
However, there may have been a good reason why the supervisor didn't perform the routine background checks. Under the circumstances, it was the employment agency, not the medical center, who directly employed temporary employees, and whose responsibility it was to conduct background checks as a prerequisite for hiring Beasley. Mediscan asserts it performed all required background checks; yet, somehow Beasley managed to slip through the cracks, passing a seven-year criminal and sex offender check, fraud/OIG check, license, education and employment screenings, and the national terrorist database check.
Therein lies the answer. The candidate's conviction occurred longer than seven years ago, so naturally he would appear to have a clean criminal record. Why would a company only search back seven years? That's the requirement of Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) guidelines. What is confusing about this situation is that Beasley doesn't appear on any sex offender registries. Most sex offenders earn the status for life; why didn't Beasley? Does it have something to do with the fact that he was convicted while working as a Los Angeles Police Officer?
Regardless, the county no longer accepts employees from Mediscan. Officials say the situation pointed out multi-leveled flaws in the county's hiring process. Beasley managed to become a state-licensed health care provider in spite of his felony. The county is working to improve criminal background check procedures for staffing agencies placing workers at county institutions.
Background Checks: Still the Most Reliable Route to Online Safety
Two years ago, following the reports that some of its teenage users were abducted by sex predators, the online networking site MySpace commissioned Sentinel Safe Tech Holdings Corp., a background verification firm, to create a national database of sex offenders. Prior to the existence of the national database, information on convicted sex offenders was available only locally, mostly manually. Nowadays, although elusive internet users can reach far and wide, with no territorial limit, it's also a lot easier to obtain accurate data due to the transparency the national database now affords us. Over the last two years MySpace has identified and barred some 90,000 registered sex offenders from using the site, and has made the data available to law enforcement agencies. The question remains, where are those 90,000 sex offenders going to resurface?
It naturally followed that the newer Facebook might also host substantial numbers of convicted sex offenders. Facebook previously claimed their site has yet to handle a case of a registered sex offender meeting a minor, because they enforce a real-name culture which creates a safer, more trusted environment. Yet, how can anyone be sure that members are actually using real names? Or that a person going by a certain name is not a sex offender? Facebook is still ripe with possibilities. New evidence suggests that a large portion of sex offenders from MySpace are now on Facebook. Sentinel reports that of the 90,000 removed from MySpace, they effortlessly found over 8,000 offenders on Facebook. They believe the real number is 15 to 20 times that. Facebook agreed to identify and remove the profiles of all registered sex offenders, and once they received the list of matches, disabled all the known accounts.
That's all well and good, but not nearly enough. To date, not all known sex offenders - not to mention the unknown ones - were found and removed from Facebook, or even MySpace. It's also safe to assume that the national database of registered sex offenders can't possibly contain every single dangerous individual out there. Registered sex offenders have been found guilty of sex crimes and ordered to register with law enforcement officials. That does not mean that ALL sex offenders were identified, registered and will subsequently be banned from the internet altogether. Potential first-time or unidentified sex offenders are still out there, finding ways to infiltrate new social networking sites, dating sites, and various chat rooms. To us regular consumers, this means we can't let our guard down. The burden is still on us to protect ourselves and our children, and we can't rely on someone else to do it for us. That means running background checks on every stranger we come across online, who has the potential to have a negative impact on our lives.
Avoiding false positives on background checks
Let's face it: having to go through a background check is stressful enough. Getting a false positive result can unnecessarily magnify that stress for both the subject and the entity performing the check. Needless to say, conducting a background check is a sensitive matter, and every precaution should be taken to avoid false positives. Usually, such blunders can be caused by inaccurate data, identity theft, or coincidence.
Background investigation is not an exact science, so be prepared to occasionally overlook a record or report a false positive. The best way to avoid inaccurate results is to start on a small scale, close to home, gradually widening the scope of your search. Knowing where the person has lived, worked, or attended college during the last 10 years is vital information for an accurate background check. When looking for a criminal record, the most reliable and current sources are county courthouse files for the subject's home and surrounding counties.
Narrowing your range also eliminates many same-name records - the smaller the area, the fewer duplicates on your report. Make sure to obtain the middle name to distinguish from other subjects with same first and last names. The key to successfully retrieving the correct criminal record is matching the name and date of birth. To ensure you have the right birth date, compare your data to driving records, social security annals and credit reports.
Information procured from state-wide databases is very useful in supplementing county searches. These sources aid in discovering crimes that may have been committed outside the subject's county or state of residence. When a database returns a positive record, its accuracy should be verified with a court search before being included on the report.
Short of obtaining fingerprints, these methods are practically guaranteed to produce accurate results. These basic steps should drastically minimize, if not completely eliminate false positive results on background checks.
Background Check Report Demystified
Background check reports provide detailed information on the subject in several vital categories, compiled from various reliable public record sources. The components of a sample background check report are described below:
Personal Public Records Data includes the person's name, any and all aliases ever used, date of birth and age.
Address History provides addresses for all known places of residence and phone numbers for each address.
Property History Summary lists the address, name of the owner, current real estate taxes, names and addresses of surrounding neighbors, and a list of relatives. There is also a subsection providing information about the general area: local averages - population, house price, household income - and the number of sex offenders.
Single State Criminal Check discovers any existing criminal history, both felonies and misdemeanors, via a thorough public record search within County Courts, State Courts, Administrative Office of the Courts, Department of Corrections and Sex Offender Registries.
Note: a nationwide criminal check is available in a separate report for a nominal additional fee.
Single State Civil Judgments searches for records of bankruptcies, tax lien filings, small claims, civil actions, and other civil judgment-related records, if any.
Current/Historical People Search reveals the name, date of birth and age of the subject, names of all known relatives, address history, previous cities of residence, average income and house value, and can provide insight into marriage/divorce history.
Modern Renaissance Man
Jose Badillo is an educated man with many varied interests. His education involved computers, and he enjoys selling over the Internet. He also once had a deejay business, and even took flying lessons. Jose also likes to travel, and has dual U.S./Mexican citizenship.
Badillo landed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list for allegedly raping and molesting a minor female over several years. Badillo faces federal charges of "transporting a minor in foreign commerce with intent to engage in sexual activity, and tampering with a federal witness/victim," and was further charged with possession of child pornography.
Magnetic International Businessman
Igor Fisherman, originally from Ukraine, has been involved in multi-million dollar deals and stocks, including the industrial magnet market. He has traveled extensively around the world, including the United States, where he is a naturalized citizen, as well as Russia and Canada.
Fisherman was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list after a federal indictment was issued for Fisherman and two of his partners for racketeering, securities fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. Fisherman is alleged to have been involved in a scheme which consisted of a network of companies in over twenty different countries which fooled people into believing theirs was a profitable and respected company. Investors lost over $150 million to the three men.
Spiritual Elderly Gambler
At 72 years old, Robert Bowman is a real character, full of unexpected talents and abilities. His career has included such diverse jobs as sales, fast food management, x-ray technician and gambling. He is very spiritual, and often reads books on spiritual topics. For fun, Bowman likes to read, play card games, and perform magic tricks with cards.
Bowman has also been accused of raping and murdering 14-year-old Eileen Adams, in 1967, by his then-wife. She didn't say anything at the time due to a fear of reprisal, but confessed to what she had seen after 14 years had passed. At the time, police had no physical evidence tying him to the crime, and could do nothing, but modern forensic science made a DNA match to Bowman in 2006. Bowman is considered to be a sadomasochistic sociopath.