Last week, a man who for years had been tops on a California city's Most Wanted list was arrested -- on a cruise ship. And he wasn't a passenger. As reported by the Oakland Tribune and USA Today's Cruise Log, Bulgarian Kaloyan Kaloyanov, who was wanted for a sexual assault case that took place in 2000, was working onboard Carnival Splendor as the manager of the ship's hair salon. He'd been working onboard cruise ships for several years, employed by Steiner Leisure, the company that manages the spas and salons on many cruise ships.

How did a wanted criminal get a job onboard a cruise ship? The story made us wonder just how cruise lines, and the companies that hire for them, screen candidates for onboard jobs (as well as onshore ones, as in the case of the cruise line employee who used information about cruise passengers to rob their homes while they were away). It's extremely important to travelers that the people who go into their cabins to clean while they're onshore or the counselors looking after their children in the kids' clubs do not have past histories of theft, abusive behavior or other criminal activities.

We contacted Steiner, as well as a few cruise lines, to find out about their hiring practices. Here's what we learned:

Background checks are an essential part of the hiring process. "Carnival conducts background checks for all shipboard and shoreside personnel," Carnival spokesman Tim Gallagher tells us. "Background checks on all non-U.S. shipboard personnel are conducted by agencies in the candidates' home country and a certified criminal history document for the country of origin is required." Glenn Fusfield, chief operating officer of Steiner Leisure, says that every job applicant for an onboard position is required to supply a police record and background check with official seals -- the company can tell when the documents are faked.

"If there's record of a prior arrest or a conviction, we handle that on an individual basis," says Fusfield. "In some cases, the candidate would automatically be disqualified. But it might be that they have something lingering from their past that won't interfere with their current job, or the people have moved on." He maintains that Kaloyanov had a "clean and perfect" background check from his home country when Steiner hired him.

The cruise line or hiring company is not the only organization to run background checks. "The U.S. State Department oversees the issuance of seamen's visas to foreign nationals who sail with ships into U.S. ports," says Cynthia Martinez, spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Club Cruises. "Therefore the U.S. embassy in the crewmember's country of origin conducts background checks in connection with the issuance of seamen's visas." In addition, U.S. Customs and Border Protection runs checks on ships' manifests, which include all crewmembers onboard, each time a ship enters and leaves U.S. ports. Other countries have similar practices. So even if the hiring agency misses a red flag, the government is looking out for wanted persons entering the country on cruise ships.

And what if a crewmember has a clean record, but gets in trouble after being hired? Says Martinez, "Any crew dismissed from employment for Royal Caribbean for violation of our zero-tolerance policies is not eligible for re-hire with our company."

Given all these checks and screenings, it's surprising that a wanted criminal like Kaloyanov cruised undetected for years, but it also indicates that his case is highly unusual.

One in 29 college students has a criminal record
By Kelly Sennott Contributing Writer "The New Hampshire

Everyone makes mistakes in high school and college. Some make bigger mistakes than others, potentially affecting their chances of getting accepted into school, getting an internship, or finding a job. This difficulty is not an uncommon problem for college students, as one out of 29 has a criminal record.
            MyBackgroundCheck.com, a supplier of criminal background checks for students and faculty members, recently revealed a study that showed that one out of every 29 college students have some type of criminal record. In the study, which didn’t include juvenile records, 13,859 college students at 125 universities, career colleges, nursing schools, and other educational institutions were surveyed through a website,

 The names of the schools involved in the study were not revealed, but the percentages of convictions were; Driving violations topped the charts at a whopping 60 percent, followed by disorderly conduct (9.5 percent), theft (8.8 percent), drug possession (7.4 percent), sexual abuse (5.2 percent), assault (4 percent), fraud (2.7 percent), and child molestation (2.4 percent).

Fortunately for those affected by the survey, not all hope is lost. When applying to college, students do have to answer whether or not they have been convicted of a crime. However, students also have a chance to “explain themselves,” says UNH Director of Admissions Robert McGann. School suspensions, detentions, or arrests do not prohibit admission—just as long as students can prove that they have learned from their mistakes and have gone through proper disciplinary procedures.

McGann also said that if a student does have a record, admission will follow up by contacting guidance counselors, law officials, judges, and other representatives.

 “They’ll look at patterns,” said Paula DiNardo, who oversee the National Student Exchange and the Washington Center for internships. According to DiNardo, when an applicant has more than a one or two glitches in their record, they begin to lose their competitive standing.

 Of course, these particular cases are for lesser crimes. For more serious crimes, however, a potential student would have a more difficult time. For instance, if a student murdered their roommate, they would have a more difficult explaining their way into school, an internship, or employment, then if they were convicted of being drunk in public, says MyBackgroundCheck.com representative Robert Mather.

 According to McGann, the biggest area of concern for a student is if they have committed a crime against a person or property. The length of time since the incident could also make a significant difference. For example, an incident that happened last week would be of larger concern for admissions and employers than a crime that happened five years ago.

McGann said the biggest judgment for admissions is whether potential students are ready to go to college.

“If the student is not ready or has not paid the penalty for his or her actions, then the student will not be accepted even if academically qualified,” said McGann.

 Graduate school, however, is a bit different. In applying for a Washington internship, DiNardo said that students are given a background check that includes both conduct and arrest charges. If a student is on probation, their internship could be postponed until the student is off probation
            According to DiNardo, a student would never be admitted to become an intern at the Washington Center who was caught, for instance, in possession of drugs. While driving violations are the most common on criminal records, they are not as destructive on a student’s reputation as assault or arson.

            Even once a student has been accepted to graduate school, they are still not quite home free from their past, DiNardo said. After graduation, law students are required to take the bar exam in the state in which the student wishes to practice. This exam includes a review of the student’s “character & fitness.”

This section of the exam is basically a background check. However, if there are some points in the background check review that were not disclosed in the student’s original law school application, the student would not be allowed to practice law. 

            Although having a criminal record will not ruin a student’s life, it can definitely add limitations. One UNH student, who wished to remain anonymous, planned on joining the Coast Guard. However, after an incident that resulted in his arrest last spring, he was not qualified to join the Guard anymore. Now, he is joining the Navy instead.

            “Since it happened, I can understand more clearly how a decision you make or something you do in a matter of minutes can affect your entire future,” he said. “I've had somewhat of a different perspective on things since then because of what happened.”

Read the full news release: At Least 1-in-29 College Students Have Criminal Records

Students with criminal records could be sitting in every classroom at colleges and universities in the United States, according to a new report.

A nationwide study by MyBackgroundCheck.com, a leading supplier of criminal background checks for students and faculty members, revealed that approximately one out of every 29 college students across the nation had some type of previous criminal record, and the actual cases of crime may be higher since juvenile records are not reportable or included in the study.

The study of 13,859 students in 125 universities, career colleges, nursing schools, and other educational institutions found a variety of convictions from across the nation. The convictions uncovered in this study did not include juvenile records – which are not accessible to the public in most situations – and were organized into the following categories and percentages:

• Child Molestation (2.4%);
• Sexual Abuse (5.2%);
• Assault (4%);
• Drug Possession (7.4%);
• Theft (8.8%);
• Fraud (2.7%);
• Driving Violations (60%); and
• Disorderly Conduct (9.5%).

“Parents sending children off to colleges and universities should closely view the background screening policies of those educational institutions,” stated Robert Mather, CEO of MyBackgroundCheck.com. “The days of secrecy surrounding previous criminal activity in a university are gone,” Mather continued. “In today’s world, parents, faculty, and students wish to be educated about the criminal convictions of their roommates, students, or instructors and, at the least, engage in conversation surrounding the facts, beginning with the question: Is there a criminal in the classroom?”

MyBackgroundCheck.com is one of the largest providers of “student-supplied” background check services to colleges and universities to use for their students, faculty members, contractors, and vendors. To learn more about student background checks, visit http://www.mybackgroundcheck.com/Students. Universities can find out more about MyBackgroundCheck.com's no-cost nationwide program by visiting http://www.mybackgroundcheck.com/Business/ClinicalDirectors.aspx.

Read the full news release: At Least 1-in-29 College Students Have Criminal Records

Follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.

pr@mybackgroundcheck.com

As further proof that identity thieves will take advantage of any opportunity for identity theft – including the H1N1 Virus – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting on its Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors page that it has received reports of fraudulent H1N1 Virus emails referencing a supposed “CDC sponsored State Vaccination Program” that are actually attempts to gain personal information to commit identity theft.

The CDC reports that the fake email messages attempting to gain information for identity theft – a process known as “phishing” – asks users to create a “personal H1N1 (swine flu) Vaccination Profile on the cdc.gov website” and that “every person that has reached the age of 18 has to have his/her personal Vaccination Profile on the cdc.gov site.”

However, the CDC has NOT implemented a so-called state vaccination program for the H1N1 Virus requiring registration on www.cdc.gov, and warns that users clicking on the “Create Personal Profile” link in the email risk having malicious code installed on their system that could steal personal information and lead to identity theft.

The CDC also reminds users to take the following steps to reduce the risk of being a victim of the H1N1 Virus phishing attack that could lead to identity theft:

• Do not follow unsolicited links and do not open or respond to unsolicited email messages.
• Use caution when visiting un-trusted websites.
• Use caution when entering personal information online.

An example of the H1N1 Virus phishing email can be seen at www.cdc.gov/hoaxes_rumors.html.

MyBackgroundCheck.com is a leading provider of consumer requested and applicant supplied background checks that allow consumers and jobseekers to keep their personal information accurate and secure from identity theft. To learn how personal background checks can help prevent identity theft, visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364. Follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.

pr@mybackgroundcheck.com

An article from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) online – “Patient ID Theft Rises” – states that medical identity theft is on the rise and expected to get worse as more people left uninsured after losing jobs in the recession use the coverage of friends, relatives, and even complete strangers to attain health care.

According to the WSJ article, medical identity theft – which occurs when someone uses another person's identity to obtain or make false claims for medical services or goods – is the fastest-growing form of identity theft, and the majority of the fraud is committed using patient information purchased from medical workers.

The WSJ also reports that the largest increases in medical identity theft are in retiree-heavy states such as Arizona, California, Florida, New York, and Texas. Two examples of medical identity theft are cited in the article:

• A clerk at a medical clinic in Florida gave the personal information of over 1,000 Medicare patients and to a relative who then made almost $3 million in false Medicare claims.
• A man in Pennsylvania discovered that his identity was used by another person at five hospitals in order to receive more than $100,000 in medical treatments in his name.

Even more troubling than the financial consequences of unpaid medical bills, medical identity theft can leave the identity theft victim’s medical files riddled with incorrect information concerning blood type, allergic reactions to medicines, and overall medical history, the WSJ reports.

The best approach for consumers in dealing with medical identity theft, according to the nonprofit World Privacy Forum, is to request copies of medical records when going to the doctor in order to have accurate records on hand to rebuild medical files if medical identity theft should strike.

Keeping a close watch on ALL personal information – from medical files to credit reports to criminal records – is a good way for patients, consumers, and jobseekers to ensure that all personal data is up-to-date, accurate, and secure from all forms of identity theft.

MyBackgroundCheck.com is a leading provider of consumer requested “personal” background checks that allow consumers to keep their private information up-to-date, accurate, and safe from identity theft and fraud. To learn how personal background checks can help prevent medical identity theft, visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364. Follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.

pr@mybackgroundcheck.com