For companies that advertise nationwide records checks, are you getting a house of bricks or a house of cards? Do you remember that scene from My Cousin Vinny when Vinny talks about the prosecution’s case, bricks, and playing cards? “The DA’s going to build a case. Building a case is like building a house. Each piece of evidence is just …
What are the hidden costs of security problems? On Wednesday, April 10, 2013, staff members at the Louvre in Paris staged a protest, and the museum did not open. (Read the full story from the BBC here.) They were not protesting about wages, benefits, or hours. They were protesting about a security problem. Pickpockets are apparently a huge problem at …
On January 22, 2013, gunshots were heard on the North Harris campus of Lone Star College System. It was later learned that an altercation between two individuals (one of whom may have been a student) had escalated to gun violence. The shooters were injured along with an innocent bystander. Incidents such as this immediately bring to mind topics such as …
We have a client (let’s call them Sub) who is obtaining criminal history information as part of their compliance to another company (let’s call them Prime). Prime states that Sub should “Provide a criminal record check with the applicant’s full legal name.” Sub contracted with RMA to provide that information. When we search, we don’t limit our results to the …
I was working on a background investigation for a client recently, and I was reminded of a valuable lesson. (By the way, names and identifying information have been edited in this story, but the circumstances and situations have not.) When we verify employment, normally companies only provide dates of employment and position held. Sometimes companies will tell you whether the …
Based on experience with some of our clients, there seems to be an assumption that applicants for C-level positions are somehow immune from falsifying information and are above reproach. The assumption seems to be that since an applicant has worked at “Alpha Company”, there is no need for “Beta Company” to do a thorough background investigation. The faulty logic is …
These kinds of phony calls have existed for years, but the sophistication has increased to combat our increased vigilance. Use the same cautions that you would use when opening an email that appears to be from your bank or other institution. When you receive a call or email from your bank, the safest course of action is to initiate the …
Why do we ask for race/ethnicity on background investigation request forms? Because all of these women are Julie Jones. Which one is applying for a job at your company? You may have seen them in person, but the person conducting the background investigation has not. When obtaining a criminal record in North Carolina, for example, results often look like this: …
What’s wrong with this picture? The time the applicant spent in Tennessee. An employment application or resume from an applicant is a good place to start, but it should not be used as the sole source of information about the applicant’s previous locations. Relying solely on the information provided by the applicant can miss vital information about their suitability for …