Sponsor Robert Siciliano as he runs the Boston Marathon for Miles for Miracles, Children's Hospital Boston
ROBERT SICILIANO, CEO of www.IDTheftSecurity.com is fiercely committed to informing, educating, and empowering Americans so they can be protected from violence and crime in the physical and virtual worlds.

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Background Checks

School Directors Face Background Checks

When I see headlines like this I wonder what century we are in. You’d think in the year 2010 that background checks of school officials would have been implemented 20 years ago. In New Jersey background checks for school employees have been in place since 1986. But not for school officials. Still to this day municipalities across the country are still determining who should or shouldn’t be checked. A new bill in New Jersey would disqualify schoo…

School volunteers face background checks

All across the country one by one school, administrators are slowly beginning to recognize the need to perform background checks on volunteers. In Albany County WY, “under the tentative policy, all volunteers would complete an information form when they begin their volunteer work. Additionally, volunteers would undergo screening through the Wyoming Department of Family Services and a to-be-selected national database if they volunteer more than a…

Check Fraud Identity Theft is Rising

…rvey Report, $969 million were stolen via check fraud in 2006, up from a reported $677 million in 2003. Of the $969 million dollars lost to check fraud, 38% was stolen through return deposit scams, 27% was stolen using cloned checks, 28% was stolen using counterfeit checks,  and 7% was stolen by altering or washing checks. In an article in The New York Post, a brazen ring of thieves enlisted crooked bank tellers to run a check fraud scheme that w…

Should Dating Sites Require Background Checks?

…ind victims — Internet dating websites,” she told the General Law Committee. And in Texas, State Representative Diane Patrick, is proposing that online dating sites be required to disclose to members whether or not background checks are done, which she believes would make online dating safer. Online dating sites argue that people should use common sense, and point out that not all background checks are entirely accurate. What if the person’s prof…

Hiring Employees: How to Perform a Criminal Background Check

Background checks are a necessary tool in today’s sometimes violent and certainly litigious society. If a rug installation company was to hire an installer, who eventually rapes and kills a client, then the rug installation company would be held libel for the animals actions. This example is one that happens all too often. It’s common sense to require employment background checks for school volunteers, coaches, teachers, janitorial staff and rea…

One in eight applicants denied positions because of criminal history

Identity Theft Expert Robert Siciliano Background checks are a necessary tool in today’s sometimes violent and certainly litigious society. If a rug installation company was to hire an installer, who eventually rapes and kills a client, then the rug installation company would be held libel for the animals actions. This example is one that happens all to often. A background check may solve this problem in many situations. Withjust  a name and add…

Baseball Coach Listed as A Sex Offender

…school shows a flaw in the schools system of effectively vetting out someone who has a past of inappropriate behavior with children. The school district went on to say they screen volunteers in the hundreds of background checks they do his may have been overlooked. What is also a possibility is he lied on his application which skewered the results. Officials point to the sex offender putting his name alongside his father’s name on the app…

Should Background Checks Be Required for Dating Sites?

…red as quickly because the other person can’t really “feel” them. Intuition often plays a role in making effective decisions. Online dating sites argue that people should use their common sense. They further note that not all checks are completely accurate. But the fact is online dating sites are selling a lot more than an opportunity to connect. By default they give the people who sign on a level of legitimacy. There is an intended level of cred…

10 Tips to Safety and Security in Online Matchmaking

…Mr/Mrs Right, the one under-discussed, over looked and “it can’t happen to me” aspect of being on the dating scene is your personal security. Ive partnered with Intelius.com, a company that provides “DateCheck”, a background check to vet out and look for possible redflags in your potential mate. 1. Look for red flags. If you are contacted online and they make no reference to you or your name, it may be a “broadcast” scam going to othe…

5 Ways to Prevent Check Fraud Scams

Check fraud is a billion dollar problem. Check fraud victims include banks, businesses and consumers. Our current system for cashing checks is somewhat flawed. Checks can be cashed and merchandise can be purchased even when there is no money in the checking account. There are 5 main forms of check fraud to watch out for: Forged signatures are the easiest form of check fraud. These are legitimate checks with a forged signature. This can occur whe…

Self-checking Your Online Identity

…c by nature. However, egosurfing really should be called “reputation surfing” because it’s extremely important to check your online reputation for any errors, inaccuracies, slander or unwanted exposure. Think about background checks. Background checks are a necessary tool in today’s sometimes violent and certainly litigious society. It’s common sense to require employment background checks for school volunteers, coaches, teachers, janitorial staf…

Sex Offender Checks Won’t Stop Assaults

…dress, previous address, home phone number, cell phone, place of birth, birth date, workplace, license plate, and if you can squeeze it out of them, I kid you not, get their Social Security number. 6. Do your own sex offender checks. Do background checks, Use Google and Facebook. Vet your potential mate thoroughly, since determining who you might marry is about as important as any life decision can be. Online dating services must also take on a c…

Sex Offender Volunteered For High Football Team

In Seattle a Level III sex offender was allowed to work as a volunteer with the Evergreen High School football team, according to school officials. It was the head coach’s responsibility to see that the volunteer passed a background check before having contact with students. Two female students who serve as managers with the football team alerted authorities after the volunteer made comments that made them feel uncomfortable. He wa…

Auditioning For The Bachelorette

…ut the auditioning for the bachelorette meets similar standards I’d probably put in place when little predators start swarming my house. Contestants for the popular ABC show The Bachelorette have to go through a grueling background check that includes a six-hour test with 1200 questions, a session with a psychologist, blood and alcohol testing. I LOVE THAT!!!!!!!! I’m sure the motivations of the producers are more in line with good TV an…

Preventing Inside Jobs, Keeping Inside Hackers – Out

…way. 1. Limited Sources; only grant access to a few trusted sources. Minimize the amount of staff that has access to whatever systems in place. 2. Due Diligence; in the information age, our lives are an open book. Background checks from information brokers are very necessary. Not doing a background check increases your liability. A person previously convicted of a crime just might do it again. 3. Limit Access; even a good apple eventually can go…

15 Screening Tips for Hiring Honest Employees

…ng HONEST employees with high moral integrity who seek to thrive to in a motivating environment with many opportunities for advancement and higher pay. Applicants will have a background check and psychological test, reference checks, drug testing and additional screening to determine eligibility.” #2 Look for incongruence. Resume are often “false advertising” and outright lies, look for red-flags and exaggerations. #3 Appearance is telling. Someo…

IRS Fully Reliant on Social Security Numbers

On the Policy, Practice & Procedures page of their website, the IRS addresses the public’s concern regarding Social Security numbers on checks: “Complete Social Security Numbers (SSN) on Checks or Money Orders Remitted to IRS Issue: Tax Professionals and clients have concerns about taxpayers putting their full SSN on checks remitted to IRS in payment of a balance due. Page 74 of the Form 1040 instructions directs taxpayers to put their full…

Top 10 Warning Signs of Employee Theft

…lenty of time to toss items in their car with no one watching. #8 Cooked books: The moment a discrepancy is recognized a deep investigation into the numbers must be performed. #9 Protect your business by performing background checks as they are the best defense against internal theft. Screen all employees before hiring them. Limit the number of employees authorized to ring up other employees’ sales, reducing the opportunities for collusion….

Insider Identity Theft Can Be Most Damaging

…he thief’s own address, where the new credit card or statement will be sent. I’m amazed that a lender or credit card company can be careless enough to send a new credit card to a relatively anonymous P.O. box. The lender just checks the victim’s credit and, since everything matches, no red flags pop up. The card is issued, the account is opened and the fun begins. In the Bank of New York Mellon case, investigators found dozens of bank and credit…

Craigslist Scammers Ship Checks Via FedEx

…gement. Many Craigslist scammers based in Ghana, Nigeria, Romania, Korea, Israel, Columbia, Argentina, the Philippines, and Malaysia spend their days targeting consumers in the developed world. But real-time device reputation checks, such as those offered by iovation, can detect computers that have been used for auction fraud and expose all of the accounts associated with the suspicious device or group of devices. This provides Craigslist and oth…