InfoLink Uncovers False IDs Through Background Screening

Los Angeles, CA, October 29, 2001 —The American homeland faces a new kind of war. Employers want to know exactly who is being hired. Needing legal and proven means of doing so most organizations turn to background screening firms like InfoLink Screening Services, Inc., a nationwide provider headquartered in Chatsworth, CA.

"It's important to remember that a person uses false I.D. because they want to hide something," states Barry Nadell, President/CEO of InfoLink. "The quality and extent of their efforts will vary, but any action that uncovers falsification immediately disarms these people as they are effective only in secrecy."

Background checks verify identification in several ways. The best method is fingerprinting. Others include motor vehicle records, a social security trace or obtaining credit files. Backup data can also be obtained from court checks of criminal records, verification of employment records, education and military history as well as other sources to correlate with the verification of ID and uncover discrepancies.

"The demand for fingerprinting has dramatically increased recently, especially for youth groups," states Mark Englander of ACCU-PRINTS, a California fingerprint services company.

Access to fingerprint files varies by industry according to federal and state laws:

• Fingerprinting is mandated for some licensed professions such as airline pilots, teachers or notaries; for those employed by the government and for other security-sensitive positions like airport employees, banks and health care.
• Youth groups are a category legally eligible for fingerprinting, although not required to do so.
• Other groups not specified by law can apply to their state department of justice on a case by case basis, a process that may take a couple months to decide. If granted, applicants are assigned a requestor number which allows them to process fingerprints.

Approximate fingerprinting costs include rolling fees (collection expenses) of $15-25, state Department of Justice processing fees of $32 and, where applicable, FBI processing fees of $24. Fees may be waived for non-profit organizations in some cases.

Normal turnaround on fingerprint cards is six weeks to four months. California, however, has instituted a secure electronic transmission system, which reduces fingerprint processing to as little as 72 hours.

Social security checks cost as little as $5.00 or less and are returned immediately upon request. Two databases may be accessed. One, the Department of Social Security, indicates whether a number has been issued and is valid. If issued, the issuing state and approximate year of issue are also provided.

The second database is from one of three major credit bureaus. It matches the social security number to the name provided, gives an individual's last three addresses and shows any "a/k/a" (also known as) names used. The trace additionally notes if a number has been used in a death benefits claim or if a claim of fraud has been issued in connection with it.

"There isn't a day goes by that we don't uncover someone using a social security number that isn't theirs or who have other persons identified with their number," states Barry Nadell of InfoLink.

Photo ID's such as driver's licenses are effective since the user must at least resemble the picture. However, photo ID's fall short if applicants are not required to properly identify themselves when obtaining one. Similarly, if an applicant can present false paperwork they obtain a card which has their photo, but someone else's background information.

A national ID card enlarges on the concept of photo ID with embedded personal information that only the correct user would know. Such cards could contain an individual's entire educational, military, license or employment history. Definitive biometric identification factors such as fingerprints, DNA, or retinal scans could be included.

"Much has been said about the ways identification can be falsified," observes Mr. Nadell, "but considerable verification technology is available, too. Our country's vast electronic infrastructure is a huge security advantage. All an employer has to do is access it through a background check with a professional background screening entity."