New FTC Rules on Employment Verifications Do Not Affect Users of Consumer Reports
By Lester Rosen, President of ESR Some employers may have read about new rules that went into effect July 1, 2010, that potentially affect the accuracy of employment verifications. For employers concerned about the new rules, the short answer is that it does not affect how and when an employer receives a background report. It also does not [...]
Categories: Employment Verification, FACTA, Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Federal laws, Federal Trade Commission, Recent Posts Tags:
The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Background Checks
By Lester Rosen, President of ESR (Originally Posted on Toolbox for HR) From the mailbox: Why shouldn’t employers simply do their own background checks in-house? They can hire people from the screening industry and can certainly figure it out. Answer: First, the fact that a firm may be able to set up an internal screening program does not [...]
Categories: Background Checks, Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Federal Trade Commission, Negligent hiring, Outsourcing, Recent Posts Tags:
New Legislation Would Make Companies Inform Customers When Calls Outsourced Outside U.S.
By Thomas Ahearn, ESR News Staff Writer Ever wonder if the customer service call center at the other end of your phone is located in the U.S., or what foreign country it is located in if outside of the U.S.? Newly proposed legislation would make companies inform customers when their calls are being transferred outside the United States [...]
Categories: Federal Trade Commission, identity theft, offshoring, personally identifiable information, Recent Posts Tags:
FTC Extends Enforcement Deadline for Identity Theft Red Flags Rule To December 31
By Thomas Ahearn, ESR Staff Writer The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has further delaying enforcement of the Red Flags Rule for identity theft – scheduled to begin on June 1, 2010 – to December 31, 2010. According to a FTC news release, the delay of the Red Flags Rule for identity theft to the end of the year [...]
Categories: Federal Trade Commission, identity theft, Recent Posts, Red Flag Rules Tags:
FTC Requiring Businesses Extending Credit To Customers To Follow Red Flags Rule For Identity Theft Starting June 1
By Thomas Ahearn, ESR Staff Writer With identity theft on the rise – a recent survey found the number of identity theft and fraud victims in the U.S. increased 12 percent to affect over 11 million adults in 2009 – the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is requiring businesses that extend credit to customers to develop plans [...]
Categories: Federal Trade Commission, identity theft, Recent Posts, Red Flag Rules Tags:
FTC Offers Facts for Consumers about Credit Reports and Employment Background Checks
By Les Rosen, President of ESR & Thomas Ahearn, ESR Staff Writer The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – the nation’s consumer protection agency – issued “FTC Facts For Consumers” in May 2010 that explains “Credit Reports and Employment Background Checks” to consumers who have applied for jobs. Although the new FTC notice has been criticized for containing [...]
Categories: Background Checks, credit reports, Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Recent Posts Tags:
Identity Theft and how thieves use stolen ID
What do thieves do with a stolen identity? According to information form the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), here are some uses: Once they have your personal information, identity thieves use it in a variety of ways. Credit card fraud: They may open new credit card accounts in your name. When they use the cards and don’t pay the [...]
Categories: Federal Trade Commission, identity theft, Recent Posts Tags: check, police, warrant
Court finds that not hiring someone constitutes an adverse action for purposes of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
In a Court opinion filed December 30, 2009, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri ruled that not getting hired is an “adverse action” as defined by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the law that governs background checks. In that case, the plaintiff that was representing himself filed legal papers alleging [...]
Categories: Best Practices, Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Federal Trade Commission, identity theft, Recent Posts Tags: background, check, complete, employment, safety
How do thieves steal an identity
The Federal Trade Commission provides excellent resources on identity theft. Here is an excerpt from their educational website at: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/about-identity-theft.html#Whatdothievesdowithastolenidentity How do thieves steal an identity? “Identity theft starts with the misuse of your personally identifying information such as your name and Social Security number, credit card numbers, or other financial account information. For identity thieves, this [...]
Categories: Federal Trade Commission, identity theft, Recent Posts Tags: check, employee, employment