Posts Tagged ‘Background Check’

ClearStar Releases ScreenMeNow: Shared Source Code for Background Screening

Saturday, January 8th, 2011

Press Release: ClearStar Releases ScreenMeNow Direct Applicant Data Entry Solution: First Shared Source Code for Background Screening

ClearStar, a leading background screening technology and service provider, announced today the release of ScreenMeNow, a customizable direct applicant data entry interface. This solution comes in response to the increased demand for cost effective human resources solutions.

ScreenMeNow provides a simple, intuitive interface for direct applicant entry of data required for the initiation of a background check. This functionality increases operating efficiencies for an employer by eliminating redundant data entry and decreasing the turnaround time of a background check. ScreenMeNow can also accept credit card payment from the applicant at the time of data submission. This optional feature is particularly valuable when conducting background checks on independent contractors, volunteers and students because it can reduce or even eliminate an organizations’ background screening costs.

“In addition to delivering improved operating efficiencies and reduced costs, ScreenMeNow also addresses increased concerns within the human resources industry regarding identity theft and age discrimination lawsuits. Employers are seeking to limit their collection of applicants’ personally identifiable information (PII), such as dates of birth and social security numbers,” stated Vince Pascarella, President of ClearStar. “ScreenMeNow allows an employer’s background screening partner to obtain the PII necessary for a thorough and accurate background check while reducing the employer’s exposure to the risk of collecting, communicating and controlling this sensitive data.”

”ScreenMeNow has given us a tremendous amount of flexibility in meeting the needs of employers, while at the same time significantly reducing their administrative costs,” explained Will Barada, President of Barada Associates, Inc. (http://www.baradainc.com), a professional background screening firm and seven year ClearStar client. “Put simply, ScreenMeNow has helped us provide a higher level of service to employers.”

ClearStar has a long standing commitment to empowering screening firms. The release of ScreenMeNow marks the launch of its shared source code initiative. Now a background screening firm utilizing the ClearStar technology can provide the ScreenMeNow solution as is, or they can use the ClearStar shared source code to create a unique experience on a client-by-client basis. ScreenMeNow can be hosted in a cloud, on a background screening company’s servers or on ClearStar servers.

A fully functioning version of ScreenMeNow is hosted by ClearStar Logistics, Inc. (http://www.clearstarlogistics.net) in a cloud environment at http://www.screenmenow.com.

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Posted in Background Check, General News and Opinions | 1 Comment »

Biggest Background Check Scam EVER

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

Hello Readers,

As anyone who has been following BestBackgroundCheck.org for any length of time knows, the site, lead researcher Dave Jordan, and the crew, have been on the scene for a little over 2 years. During this time, we have encountered pretty much every type of scam, loss-leader, wannabe, and whatever else you can think of related to the background check industry.

The internet is so full of background check spam that even Google is having a tough time cutting through it all. Article directories like Ezine Articles which are supposed to be a great source for information are just as bloated as everywhere else. The Better Business Bureau and The Ripoff Report are loaded with complaints from disgruntled consumers.

Employers are also being duped because many are too cheap to get a professional background check service. Unfortunately consumers don’t have access to professional services because of the more stringent requirements for conducting the search itself.

The reason I am writing this article is in regards to one particular site known as Consumer-Warning.org. They have been around for a few years as well and pass themselves off as a consumer protection site using the similarity of their name to sites like ConsumerReports.org and others to garner reputability.

However, their main drive has absolutely nothing to do with consumer protection and instead focuses on promoting the online background check service known as Net Detective. I don’t have so much of a problem with Net Detective as I do with the way its being marketed. The main ad consumer-warning.org has been running the past year or so is this one below:

consumer-warning.org is not a legitimate background check review site

The site receives massive traffic through advertising and many people are lead to believe that Net Detective is the solution to all their background check problems. The price is also just right so that most people don’t bother with a refund, becaue they don’t think it’s worth their time.

The company offers two subscription models. The first one is a 3 year membership for $29.95 that offers unlimited searches. However it is basically a people search utility for searching addresses and phone numbers. It also provides a number of other services which are useless to most people.

The real stickler is that you will have to shell out $29.95 per month for access to their upgraded membership which allows for criminal records search, background checks, etc. The advanced membership is somewhat useful, but still isn’t as good as pay-per-search companies like BackgroundChecks.com, USSearch, Intelius and eFindOutTheTruth.

This may sound like a pitch, but the fact remains that Net Detective isn’t all it’s cut out to be. And the misleading ads by Consumer-Warning.org have left me livid on more than one occasion. Net Detective isn’t a terrible service, but the way it’s being portrayed by the site is misleading.

We also offer Net Detective on this site, but only because it sometimes works and the company offers a 90 day satisfaction guarantee. Also, if you are an employer and looking for a cheap solution, be very mindful that the service is not FCRA compliant, and that you run a risk every time you conduct a background check without prior consent.

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Posted in Background Check, Best Background Check | 3 Comments »

Bogus Background Check Ruins Chances of Employment

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

A Virginia Beach resident claims his identity was stolen in El Paso, Texas and as a result he is failing employment background checks which is effectively ruining his chances at getting a job.

John Shelby lived in El Paso several years ago; he was arrested for trespassing when he went to pick up his friend from a local high school, but the charge was later dismissed. However, his information and mug shot were in the system.

A few years later, when he was working at the Tigua Indian Reservation, he applied for a promotion. He was denied and supervisors told him when they ran him name through a background check, he was listed as incarcerated in the El Paso County Jail.

After some research, he found out another man named Jason Newton, who had been arrested, told police his name was John Shelby. Since he was in the system, they arrested Newton under the alias of Shelby. Shelby made several calls and eventually received a letter from the police department saying the real John Shelby was not in jail and this was a case of identity fraud.

Years later, Newton continued to use Shelby’s name, and was accused of crimes such as robbery and engaging in organized criminal activity. Newton is now serving a life sentence for attempted murder in McKinney, TX. But even after moving away and attempting to have his record expunged, Shelby says he is still failing background checks because of this ordeal.

Point is, if you are being repeatedly turned down for jobs and not being told exactly what is going on, you need to find out what’s going on. Employers are required to tell you if a background check is the reason you are not getting a job. However, if they are conducting a background check using an online service, you’ll never know and can’t do anything about not being hired.

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Posted in Background Check, Virginia | 1 Comment »

Background Check Question and Answer

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

Q: My mother has been dating her boyfriend for three years. I just found out she pays for everything, and that worries me. How can I run a background check on him?

A: There are many areas to search when checking someone’s background. Criminal records are available to the public, and commercial and financial databases can have information. Note that these may charge a small fee.

In all cases, be sure you double-check that you have the right person. It is easy to get wrong information, especially when searching common names. You don’t want to make false accusations. Visit BestBackgroundCheck.org for links to sites for conducting background checks.

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An Employment Background Check is More Than a Google Search

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

Student, Zachary Garcia, in Florida, recently conducted a Google background check on himself and discovered some horrifying facts that illustrate some important points. When he entered his name into Google, he found that his name and photograph were connected to a felony murder that took place in September.

What this illustrates is that you cannot rely on just doing a Google search for pre-employment background checks or even if you as a consumer are just looking for someone’s information. You might find an address and phone number for the name you are looking for, but who’s to say that it’s the correct name?

In connection with this I wrote an article some time ago about how 70% of employers are conducting pre-employment checks social media. The problem I see with this is that you might end up passing over a qualified candidate because of something you found on Facebook. There is a reason employment background check services exist, not the least of which is that they can also help you stay legally compliant with employment EEO regulations.

Officers with the Polk County (FL) Sheriff’s Office said Zachary Garcia was charged with murder in a news release, but the real murder suspect was named Zachery (spelled with an ‘e’) Garcia. The story was reported by several media outlets that also broadcast a driver’s license photo of the wrong Garcia (Zachary, with an ‘a’) in connection with the alleged murder, ABC News reports.

In another strange twist, a spokesman with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the two men with very similar names also happened to share the same day of birth, although they were born one year apart.

ABC News also reported that the Polk County sheriff sent the student a formal letter apologizing for the error and vowed to correct the misinformation. The sheriff also said that while the news release named the wrong Garcia, official booking documents never contained the same error.

Zachary Garcia, a freshman, said he hopes the search engine screw-up does not affect his future since employers may background check his name online and may not hire him because of the mix-up. He said he is speaking out about what happened to him because he wants others to know that it could happen to them: “The Internet is not always right.”

This story is proof positive why employers cannot rely only on cheap, quick, and convenient Internet searches using Google or other search engines in place of “real” background checks from companies like BackgroundChecks.com, which is accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®). BackgroundChecks.com uses trained background check specialists that research criminal and civil court records, driving records, credit checks, social security number traces, employment references, educational verifications, and more.

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Posted in Background Check, Employment | 1 Comment »

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