The September 2013 Background Investigation Division E-Newsletter was sent out last week. In case you missed it, here is a reprint of our feature article.
Beware of Investigation Companies who offer “Smoke & Mirror” Searches!
There are investigation companies out there who offer superficial searches in New York State claiming it is a cost effective way to determine if additional criminal record research is needed. Don’t be fooled by this smoke and mirror approach. This cursory approach accesses incomplete New York State Sheriff’s Association records that cover some counties but not all. In addition, some counties report arrest information that is illegal to use.
These investigation companies claim it saves time and money but how cost effective is it to search incomplete records? If necessary, they then recommend proceeding to a more comprehensive search anyway. Data mining various government agencies with some arrest data is not thorough enough for an accurate background investigation search.
More often than not, additional time and money will be spent to make sure the hurried search is accurate. In addition, reporting inaccurate or illegal information could cost countless dollars in fines. Our recommendation: Save time and money with a thorough and accurate background check from the start by a reputable and trustworthy investigation company and skip the hasty search that leads to more questions than answers.