Fraud Prevention in the Workplace

All over the globe, companies are victims of fraudulent activities everyday in the workplace. Workplace background checks are necessary for companies who want to safeguard corporate assets.

Fraud and crime are not limited to the streets; they are also present in the workplace. Learn how you can prevent fraud, theft and crime in your workplace by following preventive measures.

The scope of workplace fraud is broad. It includes petty thieving, such as employees who would "borrow" paper supplies with no intention of returning or reimbursing them; to heavier crimes such as massive amounts of cash magically disappearing from the company books. It is no wonder that employee background check and employer background check is becoming more and more critical for any business institution.

Although companies cannot detect most of infractions, there are ways to prevent these fraudulent activities in the office. Here are some:

1. Companies with a good screening process usually get efficient, trustworthy workers. Background checks are quite a common practice in every organization. Before finally letting anyone join the company, HR may conduct the following:

• personal background checks
• employment checks
• credit history check
• criminal background check
• employment verification
• previous work verification
• achievement and credential verification
  

Although family background does not say much about the individual itself, it gives the company a general idea on the applicant's upbringing and beliefs. Employment history reveals more: someone who often transfers from job to job could indicate an underlying problem. That's why potential employers should always try to contact the applicant's former employers for history information.

Depending on the position, a poor credit history could be a red flag indicator, especially for an applicant who will hold an administrative position once hired by the company. Most importantly, an applicant with criminal history should raise issues for obvious reasons. These are basic defenses a company can take during the initial stages of employment.

2. Companies with strong internal control reduce opportunities for fraudulent activities. Internal controls such as having dual signatories for cash and high-valued inventoriable item; segregation of incompatible duties; having effective password access controls and placing cameras in strategic company premises would go a long way.

These preventive measures deter both internal and external criminal acts. Unauthorized individuals will have a hard time opening vaults or withdrawing money without the proper access, electronic or otherwise.

3. Companies with high regard for good governance are more likely to experience fewer misdemeanors from their employees. When employees are treated with respect and proper accord, they synergize with the company well and help the company grow.

Companies that deliver promises to employees, customers, and suppliers usually get high regard from the organization and the community, thereby lessening foul intentions against the company.

These are just a few preventive ways to help companies avoid fraudulent acts in their organization. Information, prevention and awareness are the best tools a company can have to ensure a safe, crime and trouble free workplace environment.

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States Push to Expanded Gun Rights, Obama Silent

When United States President Barack Obama swore to office last January 20, 2009, gun control advocates can only rejoice at the prospect of having a staunch supporter to their cause.

Now, they are giving the 1-year incumbent president every failing grade possible.

Gun control advocates say that Mr. Obama has failed to deliver the gun control promises he made during his presidency campaign. Nowhere was the campaign promise that he made to close an exploit that allows dealers sell firearms without federal background checks or criminal background checks. He has been largely nonexistent while several gun right promoters made strong pushes to expanded gun rights.

Gun right promoters have been generally successful in passing measures that have been rejected in the past. Last week in Virginia, the General Assembly approved a bill that would allow people to carry firearms in establishments that serve alcohol. The House of Delegates also abolished the 17-year-old law that prohibits anyone from buying more than one handgun in a month.

Last month, Indiana passed a bill that will thwart private businesses from checking employees if they are keeping firearms in their vehicles on company property.

Last year, Montana and Tennessee passed bills that will exempt their states from the federal laws regarding firearms and ammunition that are manufactured, sold and used in-state.

Arizona and Wyoming are considering the measures that would allow residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit.

Obama also signed bills that will allow firearms in national parks and on Amtrak trains.

There are too many setbacks to gun control measures, that's how the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a gun control group, interpreted the whole ordeal. Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign said, "We expected a very different picture at this stage".

Last month, the Brady Campaign issued the President a First Year Report Card, which shows Obama failing in every of the group's indicators: Brady Background Checks and Gun Background Check, Gun Show Loophole, Gun Trafficking, Guns in Public, Assault Weapon Ban, Standing Up to the Gun Lobby and Leadership.

Controversial Gun Background Check Bill Passed by Legislature

The past years had been witness to several attempts by both gun control advocates and their second amendment counterparts. Now a new bill has been passed by Utah state legislature that has caused much controversy. The proprietor and sponsor of the controversial gun bill, Senator Margaret Dayton, claims that the purpose of the Bill is to limit the federal government's control over the states and its citizen's right.

The bill proposes that all firearms stored, manufactured or constructed in the state should be exempt from any federal regulations. This means that dealers will not be required to acquire licenses for firearms bought and made within the state, this also may mean that buyers will no longer go through background checks using the FBI Instant Criminal Background Check System, allowing anyone; include convicted felons to freely purchase firearms.

The bill was passed and won by a vote of 56 for it and 17 against it. Representative Stephen Sandstorm, one of the representatives who voted for the bill, expressed his support and said that the focus of the bill is to protect the state's rights and to keep the power of the federal government in check. According to Representative Sandstorm, there are also 20 other states that are currently also preparing bills that are similar in purpose.

There is only one more obstacle for the bill to become a law, first it must be approved by the office of Utah Governor Gary Herbert, and there has yet to be an announcement of a decision from Governor Herbert's office, and even with recent interview the Governor has yet to reveal his stance towards the bill.

Criminal Background Checks Reveals One in Twenty Nine College Students has Criminal Records

An investigative country wide survey conducted by a private background checking agency has revealed a startling statistic, approximately one out of every twenty-nine college students has had some type of previous criminal or violation record. The statistic was derived from multiple checks conducted on 13,859 students in 125 colleges, universities, career colleges, and other educational institutions.

On the background checks done during the survey, the agency only looked for criminal convictions and criminal records, they did not include any dismissed charges or any juvenile records, which are sealed by the courts and not publicly accessible. The statistic also did not include any arrest records that did not result in a conviction.

Percentage of Crime Types Uncovered:

Child Molestation or Child Abuse - 2.40 %
Fraud/Financial Fraud - 2.70 %
Assault/Battery/ Attempted Assault - 4.00 %
Sexual Abuse and Sexual Crimes - 5.20 %
Drug Possession/Trafficking - 7.40 %
Theft/Robbery - 8.80 %
Disorderly Conduct - 9.50 %
Driving Violations/DUI - 60.00 %

A record would only affect a person's criminal history unless it is classified as a crime, and in the case of the survey, driving violations were the most common crime found on the college student's records. These would include reckless driving, driving under the influence or driving with a suspended license.

The numbers on the statistic may seem scary to some people, and may alarm some students across the country, but the purpose of this survey is to inform parents and university heads of the unnoticed and growing rates of college students getting into trouble with the law, and with these numbers perhaps also a risk to other members of these universities.

Recently, more and more universities are performing extensive background checks on applicants, and are performing assessments on those they consider to be a risk, and at most times allow people with less serious crimes to enroll, while weeding out the ones that could pose a danger to their students and faculty.

There are a lot of groups and parents against the said move by universities nationwide, but time and time again, it has been proven that our schools are not doing their job of protecting the students, and perhaps need to rethink their evaluation and application methods because of the rise of college violence and crimes, as evident in the columbine and Virginia tech shooting that happened a few years back.

Nursing Board Background Checks found Dozens of Criminally Convicted Registered RNs

California - Newly implemented fingerprint background checks for new and currently registered nurses has uncovered dozens of registered nurses who have had past conviction some of them for serious crimes including sex offenses, murder, assault and robbery.

After numerous published stories as well as public and media concerns, the State Board of Registered Nursing has expanded it efforts to review its nurses and their criminal records. In 1990, it had become mandatory for applying nurses to submit their fingerprints for criminal background checks, this was the first instance of a nursing board in the country to requiring the these types of fingerprint criminal background checks.

Before the move, nurses that had already been licensed before 1990 were not included and exempted from providing fingerprints, but now the State Board is requiring those nurses as well as new applicants to all submit their fingerprints.

Nearly 64,000 nurses belonging to those who have been registered before 1990 have submitted their fingerprints to the board, while more than 400 licenses were temporarily put on hold because they have not complied with the new regulation and have not submitted their prints. These fingerprint background checks are the State Boards continuing efforts to overhaul its regulations and procedures following numerous reports of nurses caught having previous criminal records.

Most of the crimes and convictions that have surfaced after the fingerprint background checks were mostly minor crimes and misdemeanors such as petty theft, driving under the influence, fraud, but do include some more serious convictions. As of recent, there were two murder convictions, an attempted murder, vehicular homicide, and a manslaughter conviction.

Due to the success of the program by the State Nursing Board, efforts are being made to include all other licensed health professionals in the state, but one main problem exist for this to be achieved, the different health regulatory agencies and boards have their own regulations and set of rules regarding licensing and background check requirements. As of present, it is believed that there are 937,100 different licensed health care workers that have not been submitted to criminal background checks.