If you need a good example of why it is a good idea to conduct employment background checks, look no further. A former Texas loan officer faces two charges of identity theft because he used clients’ personally identifiable information (social security numbers and dates of birth) to obtain loans. If the employer would have conducted a criminal background check, they would have realized that this person had been convicted of burglary in 1982. He also faced multiple charges of for DUI, theft by check and unlawfully carrying a weapon. A credit check might also have revealed some interesting information worthy of consideration.
This kind of thing happens every day. What I find interesting is that this didn’t take place at a larger national institution. It happened at a small community currency exchange near Austin, Texas. Nobody was assaulted or killed, but they were victims of identity theft, of which the affects can be felt for years. Criminal activity does not discriminate. In fact, those who seek to commit such crimes pray on smaller business because they know larger institutions are actually going to conduct background checks. There is no way this company would have hired this guy if they knew about his past. Now, they suffered financial loss, loss of reputation and are sure to find themselves involved in litigation from their customers.
It would be nice if the EEOC recognized stories such as these and spent time worrying about the victims of these crimes instead of protecting those who commit them.
