A Criminal Background Check Goes Haywire

Have you ever searched for a phone number or address online and seen an advertisement for a criminal background checking service? Be aware that more and more potential employers are using this tool in the hiring process. What was once a tool only available to law enforcement officials, is now available to anyone who is willing to pay for a criminal background check. Employers are finding criminal background checks to be an invaluable tool to uncover potentially adverse employees.

In the process, some innocent people get caught up in database errors like our 18 year old. What did he do?

It took a court order from the District Attorney to the F.B.I. crime database office plus several hundred dollars for an attorney to get the record deleted. The sad thing is, this victim of a clerical error individual has no idea how many lucrative jobs he did not get because of this error, jobs that he was highly qualified for that could have given he and his family a brighter future.

Today, criminal background checks are being used by employers and individuals for a variety of purposes. While some of those reasons are commonly understood, a criminal background check can still create havoc in your life.

A daycare, school, or after-school program will definitely want to run criminal background checks to be sure that potential workers have no history of child molestation. These checks may be run even if you will only work in a building where you might encounter children and even though you have no direct contact with them in your work. While these criminal background checks are not a foolproof method of being sure that children are safe, they are a step in the right direction.

Human resources in nursing homes and retirement centers may run a criminal background check to eliminate workers and volunteers who have a history of court documented violent episodes. Potential employees who have been arrested for spouse abuse or aggravated assault, for example, would not be hired by any facility where there are vulnerable people being cared for.

Hospitals and doctor’s offices may also use criminal background checks to look for a history of drug abuse, since such workers will likely have access to drugs or prescription pads on the premises.

While most employers have been running credit background checks in recent years, there are more compelling reasons than credit for a business to run a criminal background check.

A company may order a a criminal background check on every applicant before offering a position in the company because of the type of work that needs to be done. This is particularly important in some industries.

A company that designs airplanes, for example, will probably want to be sure that workers are not associated with any activist groups and that may have a record of being involved in any terrorist activities.

A meat-packing plant may run a background check to be sure that potential employees are not animal rights activists looking to create issues for the company. Other companies may be trying to screen out potential industrial espionage where a competitor tries to get a spy into the company to steal secrets or sabotage production.

These are all real threats from a business point of view and require criminal background checks but there are others to consider.

Neighborhood organizations and individuals may also run criminal background checks on those living in their neighborhood. The American Civil Liberties Union may say it’s an invasion of privacy, but finding out that a new neighbor has been arrested for assault or that he (or she) has been involved in a child abuse case allows the neighborhood to be on the alert. It's a fact that some convicted sexual predators fail to register when moving into a neighborhood as required by law. A background check may reveal their criminal history.

Of course, it is not always possible to prepare for every threat, but information gathered from a criminal background check can be what it takes to keep children and families safer.

Does it make sense for you to run a criminal background check on yourself? It does, if you have ever been arrested, even if the charges were dropped. You should you consider it.

You will find plenty of online sites offering criminal background checks for a fee. Take time to evaluate the company offering the information before you sign up. Be sure of what you’re going to get before you pay. However, before you pay for the information, you should look into free local and online sources of information about you. Your state department of corrections or your local District Attorney's office may have information on you that you are not aware of for free.

Finally, because information in background checks is readily available to anyone for a fee, you should also be aware that scam artists can use your information to perpetrate identity theft. Most criminal background checking services have security to make sure the person seeking the information is legitimate but some services may not have such safeguards. To be certain, check their terms of service. Ask lots of questions. If it's easy for you to get the information without verifying your identity, report the service to your state Attorney General.

You can grab a detailed Free eBook about How To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft by visiting http://jim-desantis.blogspot.com. Jim DeSantis, Internet Reporter and retired TV News Editor, offers the ebook for instant download. No email or signup required.

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