What is background check? beginners guide

I found this interesting one stop article for those who want to understand about background checks.

Are there any entry barriers for fraudsters?

One point which i like about this article is that it reaffirms the belief that frauds normally happen to circumvent polices & procedures. So if you make some process very complex or offer some concessions on fulfillment of certain criteria, be prepared for frauds. They have given example of rise in fake high school certificates due to government law of of allowing 3 years visa to high school graduates. I feel same applies in corporate world too wherein if companies make complex structures for achievement of certain goals then people may find out a way to beat those complex structures. Old saying keep it simple stupid sounds so logical!

Ten ways to combat fraud-Can it be done in India?

These include various common sense things and one of those "Vet staff to a high standard to stop organised criminals infiltrating key departments". These can apply to any sector whether it's government or private sector or not for profit sector

Reporting fraud-Serious Frauds Investigation Office

This office was setup with good intentions but haven't read much about work done by this office. I am sure they are doing lot of work but may be they don't share their success stories with public unlike similar organizations in western countries. Try visiting http://www.sfo.gov.uk/ and you will get an idea about what i am saying. I look forward to seeing Indian SFIO reaching this stage.

Do companies rely too much on the background checks?

Not many companies conduct background checks for their staff and those who do, often just rely on what the background checks company is offering. A company must choose what is the risk which they are exposed to and only then decide on kind of checks to be done. For example a company operating in telecom space may conduct checks related to residence, criminal and education certificate check but a company dealing in insurance sector may also want to add mystery shopping check.

I believe that there's no fit all size available in background checks and every company must choose what is important to them, in addition to certain basic check and then engage the background checks vendor. Even depending upon the function for which the candidate is being hired plays a important role in deciding about kind of checks to be done. In the end job of a hiring or fraud risk manager doesn't end by just getting the background checks done but periodic monitoring of reports is required to identify any emerging patterns and also checking whether any of the employees marked positive during background checks was involved in any fraudulent activity and then checking whether anything was missed out during background checks. I also advocate use of tests along with background checks to identify whether candidate has a criminal mentality.

Field staff of microfinance firms turn money-lenders!

Importance of background checks can not be underestimated, be it for profit sector or not for profit sector. Such incidents not only cause financial loss for the organizations but also pose reputation risk

How to Prove that your marriage to a Foreigner is Legal

i came across this discussion about potential marriage partner checks