This is why it’s important to do your research, folks!

Because if you’re in business with someone, you better darn well know about their background so you can avoid any potential catastrophes.

Take a look at how this Reddit user got back at someone who was shady as all get-out.

Start now!

Why pre-employment criminal background checks matter.

“About 4 years ago I was hired as a contract-to-hire for a position at a major IT storage vendor.

I put in my 2 week notice but then got called by the account manager stating that EMC pushed back my starting date a week.

No biggie, I end up getting a week off work (unpaid).

Huh?

So I close out my 2 weeks and on Thursday (I’m supposed to start the following Monday) I get a call from the manager of the contract house stating that there was some fraud involving my position and that it didn’t exist.

I’m like what the heck?

They explain that the contract manager basically made up the positions in the hopes of getting paid.

Additionally, he ran up over $10k on the company credit cards.

I told them they’d be hearing from my attorney as it was not MY fault they didn’t have proper checks on their staff and my job was with THEM, not the end client.

My attorney contacts the contract house’s insurance company and they won’t start negotiating until my losses can be calculated (landing a new job).

So I start my job search in earnest.

In addition to looking for a new gig, I begin doing some work around the house (pulling up carpeting, painting and installing a new laminate floor).

Fortunately (and since I knew I’d land a job AND I’d get paid for my time off), I was able to borrow some money from my parents to get the stuff done.

Gotcha!

I start googling the guy…and of course I find him…on a offender tracking system maintained by our state.

I dig a little deeper and find he has an extensive criminal history dating back to the ’80s.

I start a new gig a month later while my attorney starts negotiating with the contract house’s insurance company.

They low-ball me and I tell them to pound sand.

When I forward the information about the contract house hiring a convicted felon, my pay for the job I left, the expenses I incurred and some smooth word’s from my attorney (about having a sympathetic jury because I left a job I had and was now out of work thanks to negligence on the part of the company they were insured by) they settled for the time I was out of work (which was a month), COBRA, the pay at my new contracted rate, and miscellaneous expenses related to job-seeking.

Part of the agreement was that I would not speak ill of the contract house (and I won’t, I really don’t have any issues with them as they were honest about their eff up and made good with me).

I paid off my parents with the check.

I contact the contract house again and speak to the manager. At this point since things are settled, he apologizes and says that they’ve changed their procedures (including background checks) as well as fraud checks on their corporate cards.

A lot of people got screwed.

He said the city wouldn’t prosecute since the losses weren’t large enough or verifiable. I point out that I was out of work a month…he tells me I’m not the only one.

There were 15 other people that were victims of this guy’s fraud….and 11 of them put in their notice at their current jobs (including 1 guy that had moved from California back to the midwest).

The Revenge

At this point I’m mad at this guy. I’m very good about finding work (I’ve been laid off 4 times and never out of work longer than a month…knock on wood).

But many of these people may not have been so fortunate.

He messed up so many lives with his fraud (and for the recruiting firm? They only lost money).

Well, well, well…

I check this guy’s LinkedIn profile a month or two later…and I find he has a new job…as an account manager at another recruiting firm.

I call the recruiting firm and tell them the story as well as providing them links to his offender status.

The manager tells me he just started 2 weeks prior and he was in orientation.

They fire him immediately (he lied on his resume…they didn’t perform a background check).

They wondered why his resume listed as a HR Generalist at the State Prison…not knowing he was IN the State Prison.

I’m all for giving people another shot…but this guy has an extensive criminal record with multiple convictions for fraud, theft, B&E including a B&E AFTER the entire mess with the last recruiting firm.

Not to mention multiple stays in state prison.

I check his offender status in my state…at one point he had absconded from parole.

I haven’t checked in a few months but on Sunday I found out his offender status is clear and he’s updated his LinkedIn… he’s working for another recruiting firm.

Time to give them a call.”

Here’s how people reacted.

This person shared their thoughts.

Another person was impressed.

This reader spoke up.

Another individual made a good point.

And this person weighed in.

S-H-A-D-Y, you ain’t got no alibi!

You’re shady!

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.