Job Hunt, Don't Lose Your Identity

If you're one of the thousands of Americans on the prowl for a job, you should be aware, you are a target for a sophisticated and particularly cruel con artist.

Richmond, VA - The Office of Consumer Affairs reports 87 consumer complaints about the companies Virginia Personnel, Inc. and New Beginnings, Inc. Both companies fraudualently extracted identifying and personal information from the "applicants." Some of the tactics they used that you should be aware of:

• Job Guarantees - the old saying still goes, if it sounds too good to be true...
• They actually sold "Employment Information" and never advertised a job position.
• Do not include any identifying, personal information on your resume. No need to put your SSN number on that document.
• Provide only your email address until a position is formerly offered and a start state is set.

Lynn Oaks of TrustedID says, "Only share information that will allow them to contact you to have a follow-up conversation." Also, check out the company before agreeing to anything. See if they have a legitimate website, read online reviews.

Biggest tip offs that you're working with a scam artist:

• Job offer with no background check
• No face-to-face interview
• No reference check

Be careful out there!

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Clearing the Air about E-Verify

The staff at Liberty often receives calls from our users regarding the complicated rules of E-Verify, the government run program that utilizes information stored at the SSA and the Department of Homeland Security to screen for authorized workers.

I found an article today that exemplifies just such confusion, and even worse, the reporter doesn't provide any details regarding the relatively straightforward process for E-Verify.

Two workers for Chicago businesses have filed complaints against their respective companies about their termination for being unauthorized by the E-Verify system.

The employees claim they were wrongfully fired after E-Verify was used. In a broad statement that goes virtually unidentified, the reporter states "The the system has some widely reported flaws." The widely reported flaws are mostly generated by advocates against the system itself. Here are the statistics.

Employees cannot be fired until 8 federal working days after their Tentative NonConfirmation is returned. Employees cannot even be processed with E-Verify until after their Form I9 paperwork is complete and they are on payroll. Both these measures are designed to protect not the company, but the employee, against acts of discrimination. The measures are good ones, and will prevent the unlawful firing and denial of the right to work for those persons who are authorized to do so.

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Virtual Borders

The immigration debate is about to heat up again. As we reported last week, a new bill to be introduced by Rep. Luis Gutierrez will likely stir the pot. But there is one thing that has broad agreement and reception, E-Verify as a virtual border.

As only 10% of the nations borders are considered secure, E-Verify seeks to eliminate the most powerful of paths for illegal immigrants, job security.

Over 8 million employees were entered into the government run program last year, and about 3% of those were denied jobs because they were undocumented workers. If use of the system was made mandatory, it would effectively eliminate the major enticing factor for illegal immigrants by denying them the job opportunities they risked so much for.

E-Verify holds promise as a system that will not only deter illegals from entering the county - they won't be employable without legal status, but as a way to unsettle established illegals. As the program grows and flourishes, it is expected that legal immigration will become more selective, allowing skilled workers more opportunity to gain legal status. It should also allow family members of legal workers the right to immigrate as well.

The implications of the program are great and the broad acceptance bodes well for reform, however, the debate for this season is just getting started. Liberty expects there will be changes in the climate for verifying your works and staying in compliance. Stay tuned...

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Immigration Reform Calls for Employment Authorization

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D - Chicago) progressive stance on immigration reform can be found on a recent bill he will introduce to the House in coming weeks.

In an obvious stance for immigration rights, Gutierrez worked closely with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Gutierrez developed the bill to say, "If you come here to hurt our communities, we will not support you, but if you are here to work hard -if you are here to make a better life for your family- you will have the opportunity to earn citizenship."

• The bill would likely enhance the troubles with E-Verify, used now by access the Social Security Adminstration and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure all workers in the US are authorized for employment. E-Verify has come under scrutiny for lag time in updating resources and the reporting of misinformation. In essence, E-Verify is an excellent program that targets employers and holds them responsible for employment decisions.

Among the demands to bill targets to meet are those of improving the verifications for a worker's legal status and a legalization program for unauthorized workers who've been in the US for more than 5 years and meet other criteria.

Not everyone agrees with these ideas. “Amnesty for illegal aliens is what this is all about,” said Dave Gorak, executive director of the Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration. “When you reward people for breaking law you only encourage other to do same,” he said.

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Los Angeles City Councilmen Embezzle Thousands

Los Angeles neighborhood council officials are unelected and unpaid. Apparently, they are also not subject to background checks to earn the role, despite the fact that many of them have access to large sums of taxpayer dollars.

It is one thing to have one or even two council members working together to embezzle money, but when half a dozen member make off with over $250,000, the city of Los Angeles should seriously reevaluate their vetting process.

89 LA neighborhood councils received $50,000/year to spend as they see fit upgrading playgrounds and business districts, removing graffiti and having neighborhood sponsored block parties.

Created in 1999 to empower communities, neighborhood councils provide a grass-roots like movement that allow people to have a say in how their tax dollars are spent. They ought to implement a background check as their first order of business for every councilman.

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Real Advice about Falsifying Your Resume

Taken from the archives of "Dear Prudence" at Slate.com, Prudence offers Remorseful Job Applicant great advice:

Dear Prudie,
I've been out of work for several months and have had trouble landing interviews—I have children and really need a job. My résumé is fantastic, with excellent references, but I do not have a four-year college degree. Finally, I got desperate and edited one of my résumés to show that I had a bachelor's degree from a college I attended 30 years ago. I sent it out only once (and have since deep-sixed it). The problem is that I received an inside referral to a job with an excellent company, hit it off with everyone during the interviews, and landed the job—contingent on my passing a background check. This is where I sent my falsified résumé. I completed the background check truthfully. But now my stomach is churning and I want to call the company, tell them what happened, and resign the position. I've never done anything like this before. It may be the worst thing I've ever done in my life.
—Remorseful Job Applicant

Dear Remorseful,
Do not resign! Contact human resources immediately and tell them there's a mistake on your résumé and that it should say you attended, not graduated from, your college. Let them know the background-check form is accurate. That may take care of the problem. If your call raises questions, be succinct and truthful. Say you made this onetime mistake in a foolish attempt to improve your résumé, you regretted it the moment you did it, and whatever else happens, you are relieved to have put things right. It's much better for you to come forward first before the checkers find the discrepancy. Yes, there's a chance they won't, but that's a big risk. If they miss it, and you do get hired, every time anyone says, "Marvin, can I see you in my office?" your stomach acid will pour. If you get the job and this comes out later, it could be a firing offense. And if this is the worst thing you've ever done, take pride in having led such an exemplary life.

--Prudie

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Rampant Abuse of the Elderly: The Tribune Investigates

A three part series published by the Chicago Tribune this month exposed the mistakes made by Illinois nursing homes when caring for the elderly.

Mixed with the older nursing home patients were mentally ill felons. A dangerous combination of incomplete background checks on the younger criminals, low staffing, and a breakdown in reporting of assaults and crimes committed in the facilities

Illinois nursing homes have a good safety record, said Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, but he added that "the issue has always been people with criminal records -- what screening and what protections do you put in place. That will be looked at."

State Senate committees are currently meeting to fully investigate the matter and raise the standards for processing mentally ill criminals.

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Retail Market: Employee Theft

In a typical year, there are 6-7 cases of employee theft in the retail marketplace.

Industry estimates indicate that employee theft makes up 40-50% of all loss in the average retail store.

Retail stores are vulnerable to the practice, but have devised a method of fighting back. Top retailers in India have organized to develop a so-called "blacklist" to combat the loss of about $125 million dollars per year.

The list will include the names of people who exhibited unethical conduct, bad behavior, and who left without notice. It also includes thieves, though a typical background check should find that information as well.

In fact, the retailers should be aware that providing such information on an open list such as the proposed could violate privacy rights of the candidate's, though privacy rights in India may be much different than those in the United States where the candidate's information is protected until he or she authorizes its access.

The move is good in measure, but it is generally better to stick to investigative background checks and thorough past employment verification. These procedures standardize your hiring practices where as referring to a blacklist could leave you vulnerable to lawsuits.

For more information about background checks and strengthening your company's hiring practices go here.

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Lying for the Job

As the rate of unemployment steadily climbs, the competition in the job market heats up. The market belongs to employers with 10s, even 100s of applicants applying for each job posted. If you're among the many unemployed, searching for work, and quickly running out of money, the temptation to lie or exaggerate on your resume can be big, especially if you have something to cover up.

If you were fired for performance problems and don't acknowledge them, you could be offered a nice base salary and possibly a bonus to go with it. But if word about your performance issues spreads across the grapevine, as those types of words often do, you could be in for a world of pain. Your employer will likely terminate you for cause. What you might not expect: they can sue you for that hefty bonus, citing that your received it under false pretenses. Now you're out of a job and out of money.

According to a Stanford University study conducted some years back, more than 90% of resumes, in some respect or other, contain false or misleading information, ranging from slight embellishment to outright fraud.

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Religious Groups Refuse to Ordain Sex Offenders

A man from Indiana became an ordained minister through an independent church earlier this month. While that in itself is not headline new, the fact that he is a sex offender is. The church defended the action citing that the man has been reformed.

Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Assemblies of God and the Jehovah's Witnesses are all churches that refuse to ordain sex offenders, reformed or not. They concluded the risk of a repeat offense is serious enough that they deny the offenders the ability to access their denominations.

“If the candidate has committed a sex-related crime, he or she should be permanently disqualified” for ministry, according to United Methodist guidelines, which cite “the massive legal exposure,” as well as “the awareness that currently available treatments for such offenses are of limited utility, with high rates of recidivism.”

“My question to the church would be — why?” Fortune said in a phone interview. “If this person has been in treatment and served their time and so forth, that's fine and that's good. But as a registered sex offender, part of what they're supposed to understand about themselves is that they remain at risk to reoffend.”

She said ordaining such a person is also hurtful to people who have been sexually abused as children, particularly by clergy.

“Repentance, redemption and restoration do not mean that that person is lifted into a position of public leadership,” she said. “There are many other ways they can serve in their community and in their church that would not put them in that kind of role.”

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iPhone App Promises Instant Background Checks

It was only a matter of time. With all the applications available for iPhone, why not an app for running an instant background check?

The free app is called "Date Check" and lets you perform a basic background check on your Friday night dinner companion. Please note, the application itself is free to download, the background check is not.

Using only your dates name or cell phone number, "Date Check" launches several searches, such as "Sleaze Detector" which looks at criminal information, and "Net Worth" which provides detail about a persons assets.

The check costs up to $40 per search, but leaves a lot to the imagination. Legitimate background checks utilize a variety of information to pull information from criminal records, a name being only one of those pieces of information. Be wary of any "instant" check that promises a lot for such a small amount of information, and then charges top dollar for it.

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Bus Driver with Record of Drug Related Incidents

Who do you want driving your children to school? Brian Skoglund, 40 was hired by First Student Bus Co. in Northbrook in May. First Student apparently did not run a background check on Skoglund because if they had, they would have found that his employment records were not in good shape.

Seven months earlier, Skoglund was fired from another company for drug related incidents. Skoglund is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 27 on the child endangerment charges and driving under the influence of drugs. He was pulled over for erratic and dangerous driving on September 17 while driving a busload of 7th graders.

First Student Bus Co. claims that Skoglund offered them a letter of recommendation from his former employer, but Rigoni said that the village not only never sent a letter of recommendation, but also was never notified about Skoglund's employment with the bus company.

It is common sense to contact references and former employers for any position you are hiring for, but plain negligence when that position holds the lives of children at stake.

Even in light of Skoglund's background and last week's incident, Richmond said the bus company continues to have complete confidence in its hiring practices.

“First Student's pre-employment background checks are widely known as the most extensive in the industry and often exceed state requirements,” she stated. “The company requires each prospective driver to pass federal, state and local checks, which include criminal, employment and driving histories. In addition, prior to employment each First Student driver is subjected to a drug screening. Regular rechecks are conducted throughout an employee's tenure with the company.”

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Polticians and Driving Records: Are they Relevant?

In an article for the New York Post, Phil Mushnick exploits New Jersey Gubernatorial candidate, Chris Christie's driving history as a way to tout his inability to fight crime. Governor Jon Corzine's term is up in November and Mushnick's article seems to seek to tear down the politician the challenger.

"It recently came to light that Christie, 46, has been unable his entire adult life to abide by any state's most fundamental laws. He is a habitual lawless driver...he has been nailed with at least seven speeding tickets, a pile of other moving violations...and, since 1989, he has been involved in six accidents."

Chris Christie serves as a US Attorney, but Mushnick may be taking his accusations too far, using extremist language such as "killing machine" saying the number of tickets "smacks of privilege, arrogance, and reckless endangerment," and compares the news to that of American Idol host, Paula Abdul.

He goes on to provide the details of Christie's most recent speeding ticket in 2000 and the accident in 2007 in which he was chauffeured by State police. Other violations such as seat belt violations were tauted as "cover ups."

Motor Vehicle records can be very telling in certain circumstances. At Liberty, we provide the records to numerous companies for many reasons, typically to ascertain a persons ability to operate a motor vehicle in safe manner for the company running the check. Reports typically go back approximately 3 years and serious violations are automatic dis qualifiers for positions. Very rarely are MVR reports used to ascertain the judgement or moral character of the candidate being screening. DUI records more accurately point to such abuse and reckless endangerment.

What do you think? Should a politician's driving record be taken into account when deeming whether he is fit for the job?

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Liberty Screening and E-Verify

Liberty's E-Verify service goes above and beyond the free government program. We offer support for hard questions. Sure, it's easy to verify authorized employees, but there are stringent laws employers are faced with when they are unable to confirm the candidate's authorized status. By the same token, the candidate themselves are protected under federal law. Many clients we've registered, for example, had no idea that E-Verify is never to be used a pre-screening tool. It is intended for use after-hire, and there is a small three day window in which to verify the candidate's status. Likewise, the employee cannot be terminated if E-Verify is unable to confirm their authorization. They have a time-frame to prove their authorization.

Liberty's service is step-by-step. We provide our clients with the documentation they will need to provide to the candidate, informing their new-hire of their rights and effectively reminding the hiring agent of the new-hire's rights as well.

In conjunction with our E-Verify service, we offer Electronic Form I-9's, an essential element to remain in compliance, and a total saving grace when it comes to government audits. Form I9's are filled out, signed, and stored electronically, a completely paperless and error-proof system. Any new-hire put through E-Verify must have the corresponding I9 documentation to support their status and an actual employee of the company. Liberty's services can help save companies thousands in legal fees and fines if they are ever audited.

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Healthcare Reform: Illegal Immigrant Debate

Illegal immigration was once again thrust into the national spotlight during the now infamous speech given by President Barack Obama on health care reform speech given last week has become the focus of intense scrutiny. Republican Representative, Joe Wilson's outburst, "You lie!" is the center of the attention. Wilson was addressing the President's assertion that illegal immigrants would not, under the health care bill, be able to access the government health care program.

The White House says that Obama doesn't want them to be able to buy insurance and spokesman Robert Gibbs said the White House will work with lawmakers to create language that enforces that. "Illegal immigrants would not be allowed to access the exchange that is set up," Gibbs said.

The controversy that led to Wilson's outburst was stems from the Republicans' contention that illegal immigrants would be able to get federally funded health coverage under the bill - but the bill expressly prohibits federal subsidies for illegals. Critics note, however, there are no expressly written enforcement mechanisms or language on how verification would proceed.

"Without a verification requirement it's essentially like posting a 55-mph speed limit and not having any highway patrol on the road," said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation of Immigration Reform.

It seems this is just another step in the on-going debate over illegal immigration and ways to crack down. Already, employers have been targeted and are being audited and fined for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

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California City Regulates Mobile Vendors

Lathrop city officials are working to pass a mobile vendor ordinance to regulate pushcarts and food wagons. The ordinance would give officials and local police to oversee the mobile vendors and require them to provide information about their equipment and merchandise. They would be subject to criminal background checks and inspections by policy. Parking hours and areas of operation would also be regulated.

Lathrop is one among a few cities nationwide opening policy to overseeing such vendors. In large cities, vendors such as these go largely unregulated and unwatched. The vendors in Lathrop will be required to pay a feed from $225 per cart. The amount of time a vendor can be in one location has increased from 10 minutes to 30 minutes.

And those mandatory criminal background checks for every vendor, a result of the unfortunate incident of a sex offender found operating an ice cream truck in Sacramento. The man was caught taking photographs of children and their homes. An ice cream truck driver who has access to children and provides those children with a false sense of security.

Mayor Kirsty Sayles said, "It's a cheaper and better way to do business and to protect the children, I can sign on to that."

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Criminal Background Checks Lagging for Volunteers for Children

Criminal background checks are required in Massachusetts for any volunteer hoping to work with students, but the since the state gutted the criminal history systems board, the backlog has made it nearly impossible to process the checks.

There are only a few people to handle the tens of thousands of requests, creating a turnaround time of almost a month for checks that should take no more than three days.

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Terror Watch-List to be Made Confidential

The terrorist watch-list routinely shares information with federal, state and local agencies but the executive administration is pushing to fully privatize the list. They're concerned the public list alerts terrorists that they are being tracked, which could aid them in evading surveillance.

Officials are pushing for changes to the Information Security Act that would exempt "terrorist identity information" from disclosure.

Arguments against the protection of the list say that the government hasn't proven the necessity for a restriction and that it would make discovering and removing your name from the list much more difficult, if you were unjustly listed as a terrorist.

"Here's the problem," an official said, discussing the matter on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record. "If you've got somebody, including a suspected terrorist, who can FOIA that information, you're making intelligence-gathering methods vulnerable. You're possibly making intelligence agents and law enforcement personnel vulnerable. Suspects could alter their behavior and circumvent the surveillance."

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E-Verify Works!

Human resource managers across the county are becoming accustomed to the government's E-Verify program, and they like it. "Really, it only takes maybe two extra minutes to do it," said one.

Some managers feel that the regulations surrounding the program can use some fine tuning. Liberty prides itself on being an expert on E-Verify related matters. Kelly Thames, HR manager for Dunn Roadbuilders in Laurel, MI feels that employers should be able to verify work authorization before hire. (read)

However, such verification could lead to discrimination lawsuits that could cost companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. The post-hire E-Verify law exists to protect job applicants and authorized workers nationwide. Without that protection, an applicants who had a discrepancy with their alien number, work visa, or social security number would be out of work indefinitely. The post-employment law grants those workers the right to remain employed while they clear up the matter with the Department of Homeland Security or the SSA.

E-Verify targets the employers who knowingly hire illegal workers as a means to deter illegal immigration. Contact Liberty to evaluate your company's requirements.

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Fake Job References on the Rise

As if there weren't enough side effects of the current economic climate, new companies are cropping up to help job applicants lie and get away with it. With the rise in unemployment, a more competitive job market is to be expected.

But new companies like Alibi, HQ are making it extremely difficult to weed out the falsifications. The company charges an extraordinary amount to provide professional references, employment verifications and other "discrete" services.

The success of these companies is unknown, but it isn't surprising that the market is headed this way. Many people are out of work and desperate for jobs. Desperate times lead to desperate measures.

Liberty is doing everything in our power to insure accuracy of our verifications.

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