Liars, con artists, and employment scammers are about to have their cover blown in a live webinar hosted by professional background screening expert Kevin Connell. In this free interactive webinar, Connell will share real stories of outrageous resume lies and reveal insider secrets of employment scam artists.

TAMPA FL — Today’s most prosperous liars, con artists, employment scammers, and the fraudulent websites that aid and abed them are about to have their cover blown in a live webinar hosted by professional background screening expert Kevin Connell.

In this free interactive webinar, Connell will share real stories of outrageous resume lies and reveal insider secrets of employment scam artists. Actual names of websites that help con men and scam artists achieve their goal of robbing employers of millions of dollars and trade secrets will be revealed.

“This webinar is a ‘must’ for anyone involved in the hiring, recruiting or staffing of new employees. Have no dissolutions — there are con artists and scammers working the hiring system to rob businesses blind. Knowing what to look for is essential to avoid employment scams and to protect the precious assets of the business,” said Connell.

According to Connell, professional con artists aren’t the only ones lying on resumes and job applications to try to weasel their way into companies.

“When the economy recedes, job applicants tend to lie more. 43% of the job applicants that we do a background check on come back with a discrepancy,” said Connell.

These resume lies, often centered on inflating credentials or hiding criminal history, can chip away at the integrity of a company. The webinar will show employers exactly how to spot these resume lies that can allow unqualified and potentially dangerous people access to the organization.

The webinar will take place on Thursday, September 9th 2010 at 11am Eastern Standard Time.

Attendees can register for the free webinar online at:
http://www.accuscreen.com/media/webinars.

After registering, participants will receive a link to view the live webinar online. Space is limited. Those interested are encouraged to register quickly to reserve their space.

The Worst Employees
These employees seem to cause or attract trouble wherever they go. The problems can be mild like the chronic troublemaker who always seems to have a hard time getting to work on time because the car had a flat tire or there was an “accident”. Then there is the extreme employee who can cause physical and financial harm.

Employers can avoid the “worst employees of the year” by having solid recruiting practices in place. This should include using a professional pre-employment screening firm such as Accu-Screen, Inc. The careful screen of an employee can reveal many inconsistencies and allow an employer to make a solid and informed hiring decision.

When you use the services provided by Accu-Screen, Inc. you can avoid hiring employees who are:

* Violent
* Lazy
* Unskilled
* Liars
* Criminal
* Problematic

The worst employees awards

If there was an award for the “worst employees of the year”, these employees would win hands down:

The violent employee

This violent employee should be avoided at all costs. This type of employee does not work well with others and may cause harm to fellow employees and other persons they come into contact with at work.

The lazybones employee

This type of employee will come to work, do as little work as possible and complain all day long about how much work they do. This type of employee is generally unproductive and likes to spend a good part of the day socializing. This employee acts busy when the boss is around, but will go from cubicle to cubicle at the first opportunity.

Unskilled workers

Several kinds of employees can be categorized under unskilled employees. This employee will usually embellish his or her skills during an interview to land a job.

The lack of skill is readily apparent once this person is asked to perform the tasks in the position. Unfortunately by then they could have caused minor or very serious damage to a business, fellow employees, clients or patients.

Liars

Watch out for fake licenses, credentials, references and even bogus degrees from this employee. They are also known to outright steal someone else’s identity in order to get a job.

Criminal

Some job seekers with a criminal past will lie about it on their resume′or application.

These employees range from petty criminals to violent offenders. Regardless of the criminal record, an employer should be aware of this prior to making a job offer. Keep in mind that an employer is responsible for his or her employee’s behavior while on the clock.

Problematic employees

* The “Finagle’s Law” employee who is always the victim of an elaborate chain of events that prevents them from being at work on time, coming back from lunch on time and requires them to leave early.
* The “sufferer” who always works harder and longer than everyone else. This employee also refuses to take a lunch or a break because they just have so much work to do. This wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t spend half of their time letting everyone know how “overworked or busy” they are.
* The “saboteur” You can’t turn your back on this employee because she is eyeing your job. This employee makes it difficult for an employer to do their job because of the time, energy and effort involved in managing this employee.

If an award for the worst employee of the year were being given, any of these employees would easily receive it. Employers make sure you don’t end up with these “winners”.

The BP oil spill has certainly resulted in quite a mess that needs cleaning up. But, the mess goes much farther than the spill itself. At least one very serious legal issue has arisen as a result of a lack of pre-employment screening.

According to reports, one Rundy Charles Robertson, 41, a temporary worker hired to work on the oil spill cleanup, raped a coworker – a woman on the crew he was supervising. Turns out the victim was working side-by-side with a convicted sex offender.

Robertson, with a criminal record dating back to 1991, a 1996 conviction for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and a 2003 conviction for cruelty to children, was hired by an employment firm contracted by an environmental firm working for BP to provide cleanup workers. Now, everyone’s playing “pass the buck.”

BP hired the Miller Environmental Group, who hired Aerotek, the staffing agency, to provide workers for the cleanup. Aerotek did not perform background checks on the employees it hired for the job. One witness even said that potential workers were applying for jobs with house-arrest collars on. Aerotek claims that it did not require background checks because they were not required in their contract with Miller. However, they did start requiring checks about three weeks after the fact, per Miller’s request.

Aerotek claims it is not responsible because it was only following the guidelines Miller required. BP claims they are not responsible because they entrusted Miller with the task. Is Miller responsible?

Ultimately, someone will be held legally and financially responsible for not performing background checks on individuals hired to work on the BP cleanup. Sure, Robertson, if convicted, will serve time for his crime.

But, neither a jail sentence for Robertson, nor reparations made by any or all of the companies involved will eliminate the fact that a woman has been brutalized.

A simple background check would have uncovered Robertson’s criminal history and excluded him from employment.

Who’s responsible?

A new law in Florida has been passed that permanently prohibits sex offenders and career criminals from ever working in a day care center, assisted living facility, home health care agency, or any other position where they would be working with children or the elderly. The law, which took effect August 1, reinforces the belief that some individuals should never be given access to vulnerable populations.

Statistics indicate that recidivism rates are upwards of 67%. This means that two out of every three offenders will re-offend. And, some experts claim that this number is far too low and may be more like 80%. They indicate that these rates are lower than they should be because most studies follow released offenders only for a short period of time; usually less than five years.

One study that followed inmates for 20 years after they had been released, found that 94% were rearrested. As time progresses, recidivism rates may increase.

It is this type of data that has created the need for stricter hiring criteria, especially for individuals who work as caregivers. Many companies, until now, have allowed newly-hired employees to begin work pending their background check results. No longer. Employees must pass a nationwide background check before they can begin working. And exemptions, which were once commonplace, must be approved by top state officials.

News reports of children and the elderly have listed crimes such as rape, beatings, theft, and even murder. And, although no one can ever entirely predict an individual’s safety, thorough background checks and the conscientious application of strict policies regarding who can work with vulnerable populations and who cannot is key to protecting those our caregivers are enlisted to serve. Employers who are entrusted with the care of others must apply such policies without fail.

Kevin Connell, AccuScreen CEO and proponent of employer hiring rights, will unravel misleading quotes in a recent Associated Press article and clarify employers’ hiring rights in regard to pre-employment background checks.

TAMPA FL / August 23 2010 — Alarmed by the widely published Associated Press article from August 11th with the headline, “Some Job-Screening Tactics Challenged as Illegal,” AccuScreen has mounted a public response to counter statements that company leaders believe could misinform employers about their hiring rights.

In a webinar to be held Wednesday August 25 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST, Connell will unravel misleading facts in the article and explain employers’ hiring rights in regard to conducting a criminal background check and verifying the truthfulness of an applicant’s resume or job application.

Connell, the CEO of employment screening services company AccuScreen and outspoken proponent of employer hiring rights, believes the article is misleading and may have the effect of needlessly scaring employers about taking necessary steps to protect their companies.

“The article says that ‘companies using criminal records or bad credit reports to screen out job applicants might run afoul of anti-discrimination laws as the government steps up scrutiny of hiring policies that can hurt blacks and Hispanics’ — that is just ridiculous,” said Connell. “Employers have the right to ensure that they are hiring employees that will not jeopardize their company.”

The one-hour webinar, “Employee Screening Rights: 3 Must-Know Rules to Avoid the Wrath of the EEOC”, hosted by Connell, will explain:

· Employer’s rights in regard to running background checks on employees or job candidates
· The top 7 resume lies and how to spot them

Those interested in attending the free webinar can register online at: Webinar

“Employers cannot be made afraid to run a background check on applicants in order to protect their company, their employees, and their customers. In fact, laws have been passed making it mandatory to do criminal background checks in such industries as healthcare and daycare,” Connell said.

Those who cannot attend the webinar are encouraged to register for the event; a complimentary white paper, ‘Screening Job Applicants Without Discriminating,’ will be made available to all webinar registrants.

According to Connell, background checks can actually protect employers from being sued if an employee states he or she was fired or not hired because of illegal discrimination. “If the selection procedure has a disparate impact based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, can the employer show that the selection procedure is job-related and consistent with business necessity? An employer can meet this standard by showing that it is necessary to the safe and efficient performance of the job.” These guidelines, says Connell, comes directly from the EEOC.

Kevin Connell is available for comment on this subject. For interview inquiries, contact Sue Marriott at 1.800.689.2228 ext # 1100 or SueMarriott@AccuScreen.com.

About Kevin Connell:
Kevin G. Connell is a renowned professional background screening expert. He is recognized for his expertise on employment background screening, criminal record checks, workplace fraud, embezzlement, employee theft, resume fraud and negligent hiring in the workplace. Connell has spoken at numerous business, security & human resources conferences, including twice providing testimony before the Florida Supreme Court. He is widely quoted, has had several articles published in magazines, has been featured on television, including ABC-TV “Money Matters,” the Fox News Channel and has been interviewed on more than 126 live talk radio programs. Connell is a former founding Director of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS); he served on the board from 2003-2005.

About AccuScreen:
Since 1994, AccuScreen.com has been an industry pioneer, leader and expert in employment background screening, specializing in criminal background checks. Its reports are delivered to companies across the world in 2-72 hours.

Media Contact
Sue Marriott
SueMarriott@AccuScreen.com
410 S. Ware Blvd. Suite 607
Tampa, FL 33619
1.800.689.2228 ext # 1100

The Economic Crisis that began in December 2007 has brought forth record levels of employee fraud, information and property theft, as well as a spike in overall fraud schemes. This problem has been compounded by easy access to fake credentials. Accordingly, Kevin Connell has organized a “Complimentary Webinar” for HR Managers, Business Owners and CEO’s of companies across North America to discuss the problem and more importantly, point out potential solutions. This Friday August 20th @ 2:00 PM EST (11:00 Pacific), we will address the issues of employment background checks; resume fraud, diploma mills and fake credentials.

Your host is Kevin Connell, CEO & Founder of AccuScreen.com, a renowned professional background screening expert, who is recognized for his expertise on negligent hiring, embezzlement, employee theft, and resume fraud. Kevin’s gust on August 20 is, Barry Nixon, Executive Director of the National Institute for Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc., a company focused on assisting organizations to effectively implement programs to prevent workplace violence. Mr. Nixon has 20 years experience in Human Resources and Organization Development in Fortune 500 companies. He is well grounded in the real issues companies face and develops practical solutions based on his real life experiences.

Kevin and Barry will be addressing not only why employee fraud has been on the rise, but tackle the different types of fraud that are out there and what organizations can do to help prevent fraud. This promises to be a content packed and entertaining webinar.

You will not want to miss this special “one time only” webinar. Register for this free webinar at: ]]> http://www.backgroundcheckscenter.com/2010/08/accuscreen-webinar-smoke-mirrors-fake-credentials/feed/ 1 http://www.backgroundcheckscenter.com/2010/08/resignation-drama-steven-slater-syndrome/ http://www.backgroundcheckscenter.com/2010/08/resignation-drama-steven-slater-syndrome/#comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 04:27:43 +0000 Stephanie http://www.backgroundcheckscenter.com/?p=533

For several days, the media has reported constantly on the situation of Steven Slater, the flight attendant that dramatically quit his job as a JetBlue flight attendant. The public eagerly devoured the reports, quickly dividing into two camps: one that applauded Slater’s actions, and the other believing that, no matter what, Slater should have exercised professionalism.

The Take This Job and Shove It Mentality
Slater has turned into a sort of folk hero, acting as a poster child for anyone who wishes he or she could grab a couple of beers and slide down a shoot toward the unemployment line. Sounds like a great Steve Carell movie (star of the “Office”), but, in reality, it’s just not that easy.

What most people don’t realize is that the Steven Slater’s of the world are generally not first-time offenders. Slater’s actions have been highly publicized, almost romanticized to the point of rendering him the next Robin Hood, but, it turns out this isn’t the first time this particular flight attendant has hit the tarmac. Far too often, it isn’t until something of this extreme has happened that a business really opens the books on the background of an employee.

Interestingly, most accounts on JetBlue Flight 1052 indicate that Slater was intoxicated, belligerent, and combative even before he encountered the passenger he claims caused him to ruin his career. One passenger even called him “petulant.” Slater is now being represented by a legal eagle who promotes the Sgt. Schultz defense. In other words, don’t tell the truth, don’t say anything at all if you can avoid it; just name, rank, and serial number.

Background Checks
But, could a background check have prevented the events of August 9, 2010. Slater obviously had issues that may have prevented his hiring, or, at least his continued employment with JetBlue. Several sources indicate that he has been a pot ready to boil over for quite some time. Other sources indicate that Slater has had a history of “diva” like behavior on the job, even before his tenure with JetBlue.

One thing is for sure; behavior that endangers any member of an organization, such as the way that Steven Slater endangered his fellow employees and the passengers of JetBlue by activating the emergency chute, should be cause for a ban on the future career aspirations of any individual who dares go that far. Slater’s actions went far beyond those of disgruntled employee, he literally risked the lives others. This unconscionable act, committed by an individual in a line of work where a cool head is always warranted, should serve as a lesson to employers who must ensure the safety of their customers and staff.

Ultimately, Steven Slater’s actions may qualify him as a participant in the next big thing in reality television shows, but is that the type of publicity you want for your business?

Tampa, Fl., August 11, 2010—In the wake of the beer distributorship shooting and tragic loss of life in Manchester, CT on August 3rd, many Human Resource professionals and business leaders are taking a fresh look at their policies and procedures that address workplace violence. A new webinar, “Workplace Violence in the 21st Century: Top 10 Lessons Learned,” offers employers and HR professionals an opportunity to learn from and ask questions of two experts who have worked on the prevention of workplace violence for decades. The webinar will take place on Friday, August 13, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT.

Individuals can register for this free webinar at: http://www.accuscreen.com/media/webinars

Hosted by AccuScreen Inc., an industry pioneer, leader and expert in employment background screening, the webinar will feature founder and CEO Kevin Connell interviewing Barry Nixon, the executive director of the National Institute for Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc., a company focused on assisting organizations to effectively implement programs to prevent workplace violence. Connell, also an expert on the subject of workplace violence and on background checks, promises a content-packed discussion.

The webinar will address the issue of workplace violence, the warning signs to look out for, and why no company no matter how large or small is immune. Most importantly, Connell and Nixon will speak about ways to prevent workplace violence from happening in the first place.

Adds CEO Connell of AccuScreen, “we will address not only why workplace violence has been on the rise, but also dispel the different myths that are out there such as the ‘disgruntled worker just snapped.’”

Connell and Nixon will reserve time on the webinar for questions. They encourage participants to bring questions that they may have about workplace violence.

About Accu-Screen Inc.
Since 1994, Accu-Screen, Inc. has been an industry pioneer, leader and expert in employment background screening, tenant screening, nanny screening and date screening, specializing in criminal background checks. Its reports are delivered to companies across the world with turnaround times from Instant to no more than 72 hours. CEO Kevin G. Connell founded the company with a burning desire that companies hire the right people from the start, resulting in greater cost control and better safety in the workplace. Mr. Connell served as a Founding Director of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), and he is a frequent Radio and Television Guest, appearing on ABC and Fox. Kevin also serves as a national speaker and expert in negligent hiring, resume fraud, employee theft, and embezzlement. Accu-Screen, Inc. is a C.A.U.S.E. Certified Background Screening Company.

About Kevin Connell
Kevin Connell has over 15 years experience as CEO & Founder of AccuScreen.com, a Global Background Screening Company, specializing in Criminal Background Checks. Mr. Connell was one of the founding Directors of the National Association of Background Screeners (www.napbs.com); he is an internationally-known expert on Background Checks, Occupational Fraud and Embezzlement, as well as a speaker, published author who has appeared on over 73 Television and Radio shows including Fox News and ABC’s Money Matters.

About Barry Nixon
W. Barry Nixon is the Executive Director of the National Institute for Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc., a company focused on assisting organizations to effectively implement programs to prevent workplace violence. Having spent over twenty years in Human Resources and Organization Development in Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Nixon is well grounded in the real issues companies face and develops practical solutions based on having been there. Mr. Nixon is a frequently requested speaker both in the US and internationally on the subject of Workplace Violence and Background Screening.

As the economy slides closer to recession and the job market tightens, the inclination might be to inflate your credentials and your work experience in order to impress potential employers. If you’re feeling the pressure to pump up your profile, you’re not alone. Research shows when times get tough jobseekers are more inclined to exaggerate—or even outright lie.

RESUME FALSIFICATION
Accu-Screen, a leading employment background screening company that has been keeping records on resume falsification for 14 years, has noticed spikes correlate with economic downturns and weak labor markets. Currently, Accu-Screen is seeing an increase across the board of the most common incidences of lying on resumes.

The top seven resume lies, according to firm data, are:

• Job title (rank)
• Dates of employment
• Inflated salary
• Criminal records
• Education (e.g., bogus degrees or degrees from diploma mills)
• Professional license
• “Ghost” company (self-owned business)

STRETCHING THE TRUTH
Exactly how do jobseekers enhance their experience? Consider job titles as an example. There’s a tendency toward what Accu-Screen calls self-promotion.

In this case, self-promotion isn’t about marketing yourself, which is generally viewed as positive. Instead, self-promotion means something altogether different, as in bestowing bigger and better—and unearned—job titles.

WHAT’S THE REASONING BEHIND JOB TITLE LIES?
Jobseekers typically inflate job titles in order to apply for more senior positions, with the thought that those positions offer more prestige and higher salaries. However, job titles aren’t only about status and income, at least from the employer side. Employers equate job titles with experience, skills, and, in some instances, credentials.

THINK IT DOESN’T MATTER ALL THAT MUCH?
Accu-Screen shares a well-publicized story, reported in The New York Times this summer, of a man who posed as a doctor and caused brain damage to a patient while administering anesthetic. It’s an extreme example, to be sure, but the potential for error exists in any job for which a person isn’t qualified.

Education is another area where people frequently lie. Jobseekers may claim to have gone to a school, usually a top-notch university, they never attended. In other instances, they are self-graduators; that is, they attended a particular school but never completed the degree requirements and nevertheless claim they have a degree.

Kevin Connell, CEO and founder of Accu-Screen, finds this lie particularly ironic because not all jobs require college degrees. “The message to job applicants is to, number one, find out what the position requires,” Connell says.

THE QUESTION HE RECOMMENDS ASKING IS: DOES IT NEED A DEGREE?
Even if a position requires a college degree and the jobseeker lacks the credential, Connell advises against falsification. He has seen many job offers rescinded—not for lack of college degrees, but because the applicants lied.

TEMPTED TO INFLATE
It’s very easy for companies to check employment history, educational background, and criminal history. What’s more, employers let jobseekers know they will be performing these background checks www.Check4Jobs.com Business Manager Claire Brown confirms that today a majority of employers perform background checks, and that notification is standard procedure.

STILL, MANY JOBSEEKERS ARE DISHONEST.
In fact, Accu-Screen finds resume falsification is a bigger problem than has been previously reported. According to the company’s data, 43 percent of all resumes and job applications contain falsifications. And it’s not only desperate jobseekers who fabricate experience and credentials. “I’ve seen applicants lie when they don’t have to,” Connell says.

WHY WOULD JOBSEEKERS DO THIS?
The intent is to set themselves apart from other applicants, says Connell. In addition, many jobseekers are able to rationalize the behavior. In the case of a college degree, for example, they tell themselves they plan to go back to school and graduate. Nevertheless, good intentions are not accomplishments. Resume falsifications are dishonest, Connell says, and grounds for disqualification.

THE FEAR FACTOR
Lying on a resume or job application carries risk. The most obvious one is that the lie will be uncovered and the jobseeker won’t be hired; or, if already hired, the employee will be dismissed.

But there’s another potential pitfall to being dishonest. Falsifying education, experience or skills means the person might not have what it takes to do the job.

Connell gives the example of customer service representatives. “I see people put themselves down as customer service manager or vice president of customer service,” he says. “If somebody says they’re a manager, there’s a belief [on the part of employers] they’ve gone through management training.”

It may seem harmless enough, but what happens if there’s a situation on the job that requires management expertise, like a sexual harassment charge? “If you don’t have training, you’re in a dangerous position,” Connell says, indicating there may be personal liability.

A DIFFERENT APPROACH
Instead of falsifying credentials, Connell recommends that jobseekers try to stand out in other ways to separate themselves from the competition. He says his company is hiring people right now, and he tells of how one applicant took the time to mail a handwritten thank-you note. “That’s the type of thing to separate yourself,” Connell says. “Do a little thing like that to make yourself stand out.”

He also recommends choosing resume writing services with caution, indicating there are a lot of bad ones out there.Regardless of who prepares the resume, he advises a jobseeker to be actively involved in the process. “Look at your resume and really scrutinize it,” Connell says.
Proofread for errors and content, but also determine what the document is saying. Put yourself in the employer’s position as you’re doing this. You want to make sure you’re zoning in with laser-target precision on the job you want, Connell says.

Which raises a major, often overlooked point with regard to resume falsification. Jobseekers, rather than lie about your experience and credentials, why not go after a job for which you’re actually qualified? What’s more, why not follow your passion?

If this means working your way up while finishing your education, so be it. Showing pursuit of education on a resume can be very attractive to a potential employer, and the hiring organization may even cover the cost of your education.

Connell recommends looking for a job in the most honest and forthright manner possible, and today this doesn’t only mean presenting yourself via resume or job application.

KEEPING IT HONEST
Jobseekers now have online identities, thanks to business and social networking sites like LinkedIn, MySpace, and Facebook. Although some of these sites are designed to connect with friends, Connell advises jobseekers to still examine what they’re saying about themselves. “Up to two-thirds of hiring managers have googled applicants, and they’re looking at MySpace pages,” he says.

This brings up another potential stumbling block to employment. A hiring manager may find someone else with the same name and similar credentials online and, if that person’s background is questionable, disqualify you. Or, as Connell points out, in rare instances, someone may have created a fake profile of you online. A British businessman was recently the victim of a fake Facebook page that threatened his reputation. He ultimately sued for libel and won.

In other words, it’s not only the lies jobseekers tell about themselves that can hinder a job search. Due diligence with regard to potentially false associations and accusations is also required. The message for jobseekers, then, comes down to this: Your reputation is yours to control.

AND THAT JOB OPPORTUNITY YOU SEEK?
IT’S YOURS TO WIN—OR LOSE.

Article taken from http://www.onrec.com/news/embellishing_your_work_experience

Who are you allowing in your House?

Sue Weaver contacted a major department store to have her air ducts cleaned. She didn’t know they were sending a twice-convicted sex offender into her home–and that he would later rape and murder her.

Her sister started a nonprofit organization to raise awareness about this little-known danger. The Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E. was created to promote Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment:

Here are a few other victims, courtesy of the Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E. website:

• Dr. Kim Fang, a plastic surgeon, was murdered by ex-convict Mesa Kasem (and an accomplice) while working as a delivery man for an auction house. Kasem’s first conviction–for firearms offenses–was when he was 17. He was also a gang member. There was no background check.

• Melissa Danielle Jennings was murdered by the apartment complex maintenance man, Calvin Oliver–a convicted rapist. Oliver’s criminal record, spanning almost 20 years, included armed robbery, burglary, robbery by force and credit card fraud. At the time that he was hired by the apartment complex, TGM Ashley Lakes Inc., there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest on theft check charges. He is sentenced to life in prison for murder. There was no background check.

• Mary Ruth Bales, 80, was beaten to death in her home by an ex-convict, Wesley Purkey, who was working as a plumber. He had spent the last 25 years in prison for various violent felonies, including aggravated robbery, burglary, assault and kidnapping. There was no background check.

• Dr. Kerry Spooner-Dean, a pediatrician, was robbed and stabbed to death in her home by Jerrol Woods. When hired by America’s Best Carpet Care, Woods was on parole following a 12-year prison sentence for armed robbery. He had multiple robbery convictions dating back more than 30 years. He was convicted for life without parole. There was no background check.

• Ramona Jean Williamson was strangled to death by Fred Furnish, an employee of Tech Dry. After killing Mrs. Williamson, Furnish used her debit cards to withdraw money from her bank accounts. Furnish had several convictions in Kentucky and Indiana for theft, burglary, receiving stolen money by fraud, and assaulting a prison guard prior to being hired by Tech Dry. There was no background check.

• Terina Ferminick, a minister’s wife, was raped and stabbed to death in the rectory by carpet cleaner, Giles Nadey. He had two previous felony convictions. There was no background check.

We talked to Kevin Connell, founder and CEO of Accu-Screen, Inc., a background screening agency, and author of Background Checks for the Job: What Every Job Applicant, Employee and Employer Needs to Know About Them Right Now, for tips on keeping yourself and your family safe.

• Ask the company if they run criminal background checks on their employees. “Many times, they’ll say they’re bonded and insured,” he says. “But this just means you might get your money back if the employee steals something. It doesn’t mean they run a criminal background check.”

• If a company doesn’t run background checks, don’t do business with them. Otherwise, you could be unwittingly letting a criminal or murderer into your home. Criminals often use service jobs to find their next victims. Connell says that in prison, they often teach criminals trades like plumbing or duct-cleaning that will later bring them into people’s homes.

• It is always a good idea to have another adult in the house when any kind of service is being done. “Invite a friend or neighbor over for coffee, or make sure your husband is there,” says Connell. “If a lot of people are coming in and out, a criminal might be deterred.”

• Don’t think your children are going to protect you. “Attackers often threaten to harm the children if the woman doesn’t do what he wants,” Connell warns. “They use kids against you.”

• Do not hesitate to say “no” if you do not feel safe when the worker arrives. Tell the person an emergency has come up and you’ll have to reschedule.

Have you ever felt unsafe with a service worker in your home?