I think I am a fraud victim.

[1HappyGuy 45]

It sounds to me like you have found someone that wants to make sure they are doing everything right. The birth certificate and passport are a bit much, but if you are going to be caring for their children/child, they are probably just being extra careful. Wait to hear from them about the background check, but you probably should be preparing to work.

Let us know how it comes out. If it doesn't work out, then you might have a problem.

[Harsh_77 718]

Harsh - ya - it does seem weird, after all the advice given in her prior topic.

Yep - hopefully it was not a fraud and someone was just really looking to hire OP.

Some of it just did not add up and I dont maybe its just me, like employer not willing to sign but making OP sign, asking for Birth certificate, not giving the copy of contract etc.

Just an FYI as suggested don't go by Life Lock its at one point the CEO of Life Lock used to give his SSN on commercial and saying that how safe his credit was and someone actually misused his SSN inspite of him having life lock ever since then they have stopped those commercials

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Hi, I have already asked a question about a potential employer who was asking me to send him a lot of documents online.

I refused and explained that I would only show some of them in a personal meeting.the meeting happened today.

Here is the result: In the second meeting he asked me to fill in the form I-9 and W-4 and asked to show him my greencard, the extension letter from USCIS, my drivers license, my SSN, my passport, my Birth Certificate. When I gave them to him he started scanning them without a permission saying that he would need to prove that if the tax company asks him about that. They looked like a decent family living in a big beautiful house, he works as an executive and I agreed hoping that he was checking all that just trying not to be involved into anything illegal.

Then he printed a contract, he gave one copy to me and another one to his wife, we both read it and I signed, then the wife took that contract from my hands and gave it to him, when I asked if they are going to sign it, too, they said that they would do that after a background check.

In other words all my personal documents already scanned in their computer and I don't even have a copy of a signed contract!

Ok, let me believe in good people's qualities.

when I came home I looked at all the documents I had one more time including the filled copy of the printed W-4 form they gave to me. Now comes the funniest part, the form says "2011"!!!!!!! Not 2012!!!

In the form I-9 we signed today I put the today's date and they put January, 14, 2012.

They told me to start moving in at the end of the week if the background check is fine. Now I am 90% sure I am not going to hear from them again and I already filled in the form W-4 2011! Can they just use this form for their 2012 tax return and use the scans of my papers for that?

What should I do if they don't call back? Can I make a fraud report on them? How can I prove it?

I know that was silly of me but I had never worked on families in private houses before and I was trying to understand them that it's hard to leave the person you don't know anything about in your house, but that was what I got in return for my being polite, trustful and tactful.

what should I do next? Thank you for your help

The I-9 form spells out exactly what combination of documents need to be produced. Birth certificate is a stretch IMHO, and should've not been provided, except if they want to make sure about your name (though, you could've had a fake one, and not saying you have) and focus in the background check. Normally this background check is done before extending the offer....sloppy from their side... but correct and normal in that they are waiting for results before you get started. And if you add the W4 item (which is irrelevant what year it says, all years are same and normally they just need to have one for their files and it might never change), then I'd think that this is somewhat "normal" in a small business, family based.

Wouldn't hurt to keep an eye in your credit reports, free once/per year BTW. Or as others suggest, put a freeze in your records. While the info you provided can be used to obtain loans/credit in your name, because you are relatively new in the country (can't tell as there is no info as to how you came or when) chances are that there is not credit history on your name and thus, not easy to get credit until you build some history, as you will find out.

[bigdog 376]

I still would join life-lock, you had advice per posts, good luck.

[Brian121957 43]

I wonder if this "employer" will try to claim that he paid you some sort of wages in 2011 and deduct them as an expense. What kind of work was he offering? Any chance it was child care?

If he does it may take a few years before you find out. The IRS will eventualy try to match up his claim to have paid you with your 1040 showing the income. When they dont match some one will be getting a notice of audit or a tax bill for the unpaid tax.

[Goroshek 0]

OP – I really have no input at this point as on you earlier post, you were given pretty good advice what you should do and what you should not do.

You were clearly explained by tons of folks how the background check works, what is required for background check and when you should provide your details to these guys.

It seems you were just excited on the prospect of employment and you went on providing your details without thinking.

Well, I agree, this position has the largest number of positive sides important for me at the moment. Right now I left my husband's place and is in the process of removing conditions on my greencard, this position is live-in, so I don't pay for the room and food and the main duty is walking 2 dogs they have (both family members travel a lot on business)twice a day, so I will be left in the house with the dogs by myself for a long time, at the same time I can look for another job, I have plenty of free time. That was probably the reason why I agreed to show the papers. But I didn't expect the situation with them not signing the agreement papers laying on the desk right away on that day, I thought we would fill in all forms and sign them at the same time.

[Goroshek 0]

I wonder if this "employer" will try to claim that he paid you some sort of wages in 2011 and deduct them as an expense.

That was what I was curious about, too.

I know that they had another assistant before me and I hope that he just printed the old form he had in his computer.

I

Anyway, thank you for the advice, I will definitely make a phone call to the police if they don't hire me(the background check is good) about a possible fraud situation and ask what I can do and will keep an eye on my banking account and the credit cards history.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

I still would join life-lock, you had advice per posts, good luck.

Why?

They don't do anything that you can't do for free and within 15 minutes.

In fact they falsely report that you are currently a fraud victim instead of simply putting a lock on your credit file!

Do you know how much more difficult it is for you to do anything using your own credit file when you've reported that you're a victim of fraud?

When you put a lock on your credit files you can easily provide access for companies you want to have access.

When you put a lock on your credit files nobody can access your file without your consent.

When you're reported as a fraud victim all it does is put a fraud alert on your file but still allows free access to the file. Competent lenders would require in person contact with you before issuing new credit but the file is still openly available.

Lifelock is a crock.

I've been working with Credit files (specifically writing software that accesses all three Credit reporting Bureaus in the US) for over a decade.

Put a lock on your Credit Files, don't pay Lifelock a monthly fee to fraudulently claim you're a victim of fraud.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

The way I see this, the employer asked for more documents than required. There's no law against asking, and since you provided these things voluntarily, no law was broken.

As always, know your rights, know the law, and do what you feel comfortable with. I am pretty sure no fraud attempt is going on here; thus, I personally would not jump the gun because of this.

For the future, keep in mind that your birth certificate is surely nobody's business. If you want to show your Green Card (List A document), I have no problem with that and I actually understand that some employers want to make sure the person they are about to hire is authorized to accept employment in the U.S. From a purely legal perspective, all you needed to show for I-9 purposes to prove (a) who you are is your driver's license (List B document) and (b) that you are authorized to work, an unrestricted SS card (List C document).

Google "I-9 form" and learn what you need to know about this.

Actually there is a law. Google Fair Employment practices.

I know my opinion is different from many posters in the thread. I consider an employer asking for extra documents merely because someone is accented or ethnic looking to be discrimination.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

Actually there is a law. Google Fair Employment practices.

I know my opinion is different from many posters in the thread. I consider an employer asking for extra documents merely because someone is accented or ethnic looking to be discrimination.

I agree but I would also say that if I'm hiring someone to live in my house and take care of my children then I'm surely going to ask for as much documentation as I can get just to protect my family.

There is a difference between asking for and demanding/requiring. We'll never know for sure which this was.

[Harsh_77 718]

Why?

They don't do anything that you can't do for free and within 15 minutes.

In fact they falsely report that you are currently a fraud victim instead of simply putting a lock on your credit file!

Do you know how much more difficult it is for you to do anything using your own credit file when you've reported that you're a victim of fraud?

When you put a lock on your credit files you can easily provide access for companies you want to have access.

When you put a lock on your credit files nobody can access your file without your consent.

When you're reported as a fraud victim all it does is put a fraud alert on your file but still allows free access to the file. Competent lenders would require in person contact with you before issuing new credit but the file is still openly available.

Lifelock is a crock.

I've been working with Credit files (specifically writing software that accesses all three Credit reporting Bureaus in the US) for over a decade.

Put a lock on your Credit Files, don't pay Lifelock a monthly fee to fraudulently claim you're a victim of fraud.

Agree Lifelock is not worth it.

Well, I agree, this position has the largest number of positive sides important for me at the moment. Right now I left my husband's place and is in the process of removing conditions on my greencard, this position is live-in, so I don't pay for the room and food and the main duty is walking 2 dogs they have (both family members travel a lot on business)twice a day, so I will be left in the house with the dogs by myself for a long time, at the same time I can look for another job, I have plenty of free time. That was probably the reason why I agreed to show the papers. But I didn't expect the situation with them not signing the agreement papers laying on the desk right away on that day, I thought we would fill in all forms and sign them at the same time.

Hopefully it works out for you and it is not a fraud.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

I agree but I would also say that if I'm hiring someone to live in my house and take care of my children then I'm surely going to ask for as much documentation as I can get just to protect my family.

There is a difference between asking for and demanding/requiring. We'll never know for sure which this was.

Bob I wanted to come back and address this because IRCA probably doesn't cover our OP. If her employer has less than 15 employees, he is not subject to the law.

I do think though the guy was overzealous. Our company conducts background checks with little more than a SS card and driver's license.

For those who wish to learn about what an employer can and can't ask you, start reading here.

http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/nationalorigin.cfm