Do You Know Where Your Personal Information is Going? Your PII may be going Offshore When Some Employers Perform Background Checks

Many job applicants in the US may not realize it, but when you fill out a job application you may be sending your personal data including date of birth and/or social security number offshore beyond U.S.  privacy laws.  How?  There are some background screening firms that routinely send their data to India or other destinations for processing, including calling past employers and schools.  The information sent could well be the basis for identity theft.  A recent sting operation by the BBC showed that confidential data  can be purchased from  Indian call centers for as little  as $10 each. See:  http://news.softpedia.com/news/Symantec-Sends-Notification-Letters-Announcing-Possible-Security-Breach-108320.shtml 
 

 Of course, identity theft can happen in the US, but at least here there are resources and recourses.  Try calling the Mumbai or Bangalore police and filing a complaint.  Nor does it help if the foreign call center is owned by a US firm.  The same issues still apply.
 

The best advice for job seekers; Do NOT consent to a background check if the employment screening firm used by your prospective employer does not guarantee that they do all of their work in the USA. ESR does NOT offshore.