feature story:

The Business of Falsifying References

How to Not Get Duped by Ficticious People Representing Ficticious Companies

Like the old adage goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. So it's no surprise that there are companies for hire that will fabricate job references for those less-than-truthful individuals seeking to deceitfully enhance their resumes.

William Schmidt, founder of CareerExcuse.com, says that his company can fill in gaps on resumes by pledging to act as a past employer by providing job references from willing individuals who answer calls from prospective employers.

Ironically enough, he started his website after being laid off from his job as a human resources manager. "Many people have told me right now that looking for a job is like fighting a war," said Schmidt. Although he realizes that while some may have 'moral issues' with his company's mission, he adds that he feels good about the service he provides.

Another website - AlibiHQ.com - claims to provide a similar service regarding false job references, along with a litany of other promoted, fabricated 'professional services'. Their site touts the following:

"If you are currently seeking employment and are in need of references to verify your previous work experience we can provide them for you. We can establish local numbers in any area code you desire. We establish as many as necessitated. We can also establish Toll Free numbers, (800,866,877, and 888 numbers). Professional greetings are established for each company."

An Alibi HQ spokesperson says that many of their references are used for applications for blue-collar jobs, as well as white-collar positions in customer service and administrative work. They say that they are careful to avoid doing anything brazenly illegal, like claiming to represent real companies like AT&T. The spokesperson also says that they do not provide references for employees applying to work in the medical profession, the financial sector, or government organizations.

How to Not Get Duped
Corporate Screening specializes in vetting your potential candidates, and employs a number of tactics to ensure that you are not misled about their qualifications. We verify all phone numbers of previous employers through a third-party source. We don't take at face value home phone number references but instead call through their employer, checking the company's phone number through the third-party source.

As far as policy goes, we recommend employment applications indicate that any misrepresentation or omission of fact on the application may be a violation of law and may result in termination of employment should employment be granted. As usual, you should always seek the advice of your legal counsel prior to adding language to your application or employee manual. We also recommend that you consider requesting pay stubs or W-2 forms from your candidates when prompted by Corporate Screening.

Corporate Screening will continue to keep your company abreast of any relevant news regarding falsified job references through our E-Alerts so that you are not victimized by this type of deceptive behavior. Remember, this due diligence ensures that down the road you are not regretting a hastily made decision to hire.

VeifyStudents.com Introduces Enhanced Features at 2009 Fall Trade Shows

Corporate Screening developed VerifyStudents.com in 2006 to help schools comply with federal regulations mandating background screenings; today, it offers additional functionalities to these same health science schools that will save them time and money in administering their clinical placement programs. We introduced these new features to attendees at the National League for Nursing Education Summit in Philadelphia this September.

What's New?
In the spring of 2009, Corporate Screening added a portability feature to the site, allowing students to provide administrators with user IDs and pass codes to review their background check results, thus keeping the integrity of any findings.

And just this fall, we launched two additional features to the VerifyStudents.com site: ImmuniTrax™ and Self Schedule Drug Testing.

ImmuniTrax™ is a one-of-a-kind web-based immunization tracking and compliance system that eliminates what is currently a manual paper process and reduces administrative time by 25% to 30%. Students upload their immunization documents and information, while administrators and students can view and manage their records online. The new technology ensures compliance with campus, hospital and state health regulations, and exceeds HIPAA and FERPA requirements.

The Self Schedule Drug Testing feature is a revolutionary new tool to the market that allows students to quickly locate and schedule their drug screening appointments with an approved collection site. This online functionality also saves paper as it eliminates the need for traditional chain of custody documents.

"Our clients have quickly embraced the enhanced site's functionality," said Dennis Drellishak, President of Corporate Screening. "VerifyStudents.com offers a unique solution to time-consuming administrative challenges by providing state-of-the-art technology that streamlines not only the background screening process, but also the formerly cumbersome and paper-laden duties of immunization tracking and drug test scheduling."

For a free online demonstration or for more insight on how VerifyStudents.com can help, please contact your Corporate Screening Account Representative.

industry news:

80% of Crimes Against Businesses Carried Out By Employees

Protect Yourself With Simple Safeguards

Workplace fraud and employee theft is running rampant, as a recent study shows that 8 out of 10 crimes against businesses are proverbial 'inside jobs.' In particular, small businesses are most at risk because of their reduced budgetary capacity for safeguards.

Financial pressures on dishonest employees can cause them to think that "my employer won't miss the money," or "it's OK because I'm not being compensated as well as I deserve."

Losses can present themselves as one-time thefts to long-term schemes that defraud the company over years. Statistics indicate that the average length of time that an employee fraud goes undetected is eighteen months, during which time an employer can lose enormous sums of money.

To protect your company against risk, establish a loss prevention program that includes training in fraud prevention and detection for all of your managers. Set up reviews of your loss control practices regularly to detect any suspicious behavior. Consider separate employee dishonesty insurance coverage. And of course conduct a thorough background check before hiring a new candidate to ensure that they have no criminal record or suspicious reasons for termination from a previous position.