People used to look at professional athletes and think they were all good law abiding citizens. Nowadays with 2 TV’s in every home and a camera on the face of every celebrity, we can see that it appears a small population of celebrities yields a high rate of crime. Or maybe that is all media hype. There are studies out there proving either side. Here are 5 athletes that had run-ins with the law and the consequences they faced. Read more…

What happens when you combine identity theft and mortgage fraud? You get a brand new type of crime most people have never even heard of: house stealing.

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Background checks, the phrase brings with it a connotation of mystery. Many people aren’t even aware of what a background check entails. Many people are worried, wrongly I might add, about an invasion of privacy. Why do I, as an employer, get to know about your background? Well, there are many reasons but I would say that the most compelling among them is because I do not want to lose my business! Is it fair to judge someone based on their past performance? In many instances I would say yes! How come I get to pick and choose who works for my company? Because, it is my business! I owe my employees a safe workplace. I owe my family a secure future.

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The best possible source for verification of general information about any person is his or her civil records.

Civil records are credible. With increased pressure on checking antecedents or getting the background checks conducted before employing or even engaging a professional, civil record morgues are now put to use more frequently than ever before.

What information can civil records provide? Read more…

Internet auction fraud is a growing epidemic worldwide, as online shopping has grown significantly every year that online shopping has been available. 51,000 cases of internet fraud cases were reported in 2002. In 2006, that number ballooned to 97,000. The numbers are staggering, but everyone can lower their risk by knowing what auction fraud is, how to detect it, and how to prevent falling for it. Read more…

It is no more the level of the employee but the security environment and security requirements that determine which level and how background checks should be conducted.

A bad cleaner may be as bad as a CEO with doubtful integrity. Normally employers do not take chances and make sure that they opt for employment screening or background checks of all their employees, irrespective of the positions they hold.

They are justified in getting the background and credentials of a member of the cleaning staff as well as the top executive, CEO, done before employing anyone. Levels of background checks and agencies or means used for conducting background checks may vary and differ but certain mandatory checks are now becoming increasingly mandatory. Read more…

Microsoft has been scrutinized for computer security for as long as they’ve been making software. Microsoft has dealt with countless reports of security vulnerabilities. When a vulnerability is reported, they work as quickly as possible to develop a patch. However Microsoft has discovered that in many cases, a supposed vulnerability turns out to be an issue with the user, something that no software patch can fix. That’s why over the years the Microsoft Security Response Center has come up with a list of 10 laws that when followed will reduce your odds of encountering computer security incidents. Read more…

Below are the definitions and terminology commonly used in the background screening industry. These are provided courtesy of ASIS. Read more…