Employers can help prevent identify theft in the workplace

By Carolyn Hirschman

(For additional information about identity theft, please see the ESR section on Identity Theft on the ESR Research page>>>)

(Excerpt…)

An employer can held legally liable for negligent hiring if an imposter hired without a proper background check commits a crime at work, said Mari Frank, a Laguna Niguel, Calif., attorney. Eventually, the IRS notice that two people are using the same Social Security number to report their earnings and accuses the victims of under reporting income.

Employment experts say pulling off such a scam takes a concerted effort. It’s hard to fake someone else’s resume and employment history. Also, the extensive paperwork associated with hiring should tun up inconsistencies.

Still, there are cases where the John Doe you know is really some else. "We’ve uncovered on a number of occasions where the Social Security number doe not match the applicant," said Les Rosen, president of Employment Screening Resources, a credit repotting agency in Novato, Calif.

"A pre-employment screening goes a long way toward preventing a person with a false identity form getting a job," in part because it acts as a deterrent, Rosen added. Under federal law, job applicant must give employers written permission before credit checks are performed.

To reduce their risk, employers should check applicant photo IDs and conduct a Social Security trace which list all names and addresses associated with a particular Social Security number.

Companies that conduct background checks say they try to ensure the accuracy of information they obtain about individuals. The first steps are to check that a name matches a Social Security number to cross-check that information with other forms of identification. "If there’s anything out of the ordinary, we take a closer look," said Rosen.