Credit checks for employment

[Darnell 8,478]

The potential employer CAN run a credit check on you - usually there is some permission form to sign.

To have YOU initiate though - must be a shift in something, I'd study hard the website at the links you have, then check the domain name at http://whois.domaintools.com and see if its IN the USA. Maybe the 'permission to run it' is at the website, as well.??

Many employers DO run credit checks, though.

[bv2116 0]

I am the USC and work for a lending institution. In all my working years, giving permission to run my credit is pretty standard practice when job hunting. However, it has always been after an interview and offer of employment, with me giving written permission for them to pull my credit. My continued employment was contingent upon an "acceptable" credit report.

On a seperate note, having worked with all three of the major credit bureaus in the U.S. for years, if your credit is pulled as a result of potential employment, it will hit your bureau as a "soft inquiry", which does not damage or ding your credit score as it would if you were applying for say...an auto loan. So take some comfort in that...maybe?

[Dan and Ali 3]

I wouldn't do it, not from those sources.

I agree Mal ... this seems sketchy. It reminds me of when I was looking for an apartment and replied to ads on Craigslist and was sent back an e-mail that said the apartment was mine, all I had to do was pay up front and the keys would be mailed to me. Yeah right!

[Miranda&John 0]

I wouldn't do it for all the reasons listed above. Craigslist is known for scams, and you shouldn't give out that kind of sensitive information unless you have a job offer.

[Malrothien 6]

This is for jobs in the US, btw. I know it's not SOP for Canada.

I asked mostly because I haven't looked for a job in the US ever, so I wasn't sure if this was the usual. Glad I posted. Thank you all!

[Allie 5]

On Craigslist here in WA. they have a sca, warning on the opening page about those type employment offers. I applied for several jobs through Craigslist and when opened their reply was rirected to a credit report link.

The people posting these job offers get paid so much for each credit search report. Do not give them your info or SSN many of these places ares scam artists

I have posted the alert here from Craigs in Spokane

craigslist SCAM ALERT

SCAM ALERT - affiliate scammers are posting bogus ads promising (nonexistent!) employment, paid research trials, or other compensation, but then notifying repliers that they'll need to jump through a hoop first, directing them to:

•background checking services

•credit checking or reporting sites

•sites where you are instructed to enter your resume or other personal information

•sites where you are asked to sign up for a "free" trial offer

•sites offering training or education

•sites offering a "system" for making money

•survey or focus group sites

•sites designed to deliver malware or misuse your identifying information

all in hopes of earning affiliate marketing commissions or otherwise profiting at the expense of persons seeking employment.

Lots of variations on this scam, but each generally involves dangling (nonexistent!) compensation, and then directing you to a website where you are asked to sign up for something, use your credit card, or input personal information such as your email address.

Continue to general labor job postings

FUN FACT: If you are able to determine a scammer's "affiliate ID" and report it to their affiliate marketing program, this will often result in termination of the scammer, and confiscation of the scammer's ill-gotten gains by the affiliate program.

[Otto 83]

**Moving thread to "Finding Work in America" so others may benefit (good topic).

Edited January 26, 2010 by Otto und Karin

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

**Moving thread to "Finding Work in America" so others may benefit (good topic).

Uh...didn't the OP, Malrothien, explicitly request that it stay in the Canada forum?

[Malrothien 6]

Uh...didn't the OP, Malrothien, explicitly request that it stay in the Canada forum?

I then, explicitly, said in a PM to move it since Otto suggested it.

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

I then, explicitly, said in a PM to move it since Otto suggested it.

Gotcha.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Credit Checks have become standard practice in the last 12 months (or least the media seems to portray it as such) but I would never allow a credit check until i've at least interviewed with someone. Its too private to just let any potential employer do it with an SSN and other such data.

[TimandJoyce 1]

Gotcha.

awwww nice to know you're protective of Mal!!

Interesting thread and question. As I will be looking for work myself now, that would certainly be a shock to me. I've never applied for a job online, so I'm going to guess that unless someone calls to interview me, that may be where they would ask a question like that? I'll just have to cross that bridge when I get to it I suppose. I actually don't have any credit here, so maybe I'll spare them the time looking things up??

[MRS. PADIGOS 2 B 0]

I wouldn't do it, not from those sources.

If you're looking for work, stay away from sites like Craigslist. Try Careerbuilders.com or Snagajob.com. Some companys will ask for a credit check but any reputable company will let know that it is being done as part of a background check but there should be a disclaimer stating that. Just be weary of those that want you to provide that info.

[sjr09 155]

Via Craiglist and Monster.

Craiglist is full of scammers

You can sidestep would-be scammers by following these common-sense rules:

• DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one simple rule and you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts on craigslist.
  
• NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is a scammer.
  
• FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later.
  
• CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"
  
• NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
  
• AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION.
  

[KiminON 0]

Yeah, that is weird...

When they asked me, it was during the final step of the hiring process... I had the job already. They had me sign the authorization at at the same time as the other forms (taxes, etc.).

Could you call the HR of these companies and see if there's another way to proceed?

This was my experience as well. I don't much care for the practice (I'm not in any sort of money handling position, but will deal with very confidential material), but since I was already hired, I (obviously - I need the job!) consented. Not that they will find much!