Melendez & Associates, Investigations

Background investigations

background investigations

The practice of conducting effective background checks and asset investigations for prospective business partners, key personal, employees or on people of interest such as the adverse party to a civil legal action has exploded over the last 20 years. Regarding employee hiring practices, the need to hire the most qualified candidate, and the risk in hiring the wrong candidate, has never been greater. Workplace crime, unethical business practices and misleading resume information are on the rise. The costs of not performing proper background checks for fraud, embezzlement, theft and or violence are a multi-billion dollar drain on our economy for organizations both large and small.

What is an effective method for conducting a background or Due Diligence investigation?
No subject or applicant will ever be the same, therefore individual records needing to be checked can vary. There is no one set way of conducting all background checks. We generally spend approximately 50% of our research time reviewing database information and the other 50% of the time knocking on doors and making telephone calls to obtain interviews as requested.

What is a background investigation?
The terms Background Check, Background Investigation, employment background check or Due Diligence Investigation can refer to a wide array of services and practices, but there are some basics that must be followed in order to obtain the most accurate, current and concise information. To begin, a criminal background check is performed searching the county courthouse records in the states your subject has resided over the past 7-10 years. It is also acceptable and recommended to check maiden and alias names in each county as well.

If you are an employer, you may wish to conduct a background and credit check, if the applicant will have access to money, financial or confidential records. In this situation you will need the subject / applicants consent to check their credit history to comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act - 15 U.S.C. §§ 1681.

In many cases an education or employment verification can reveal a great deal about a person's character and past performance. A background check can verify that the information is accurate or may reveal significant discrepancies.

Once all of the information is obtained by the employer or attorney, he or she will be armed with all the information needed to make an informed decision.

We’re always available to answer your questions, so please contact us at 425-829-6380 or e-mail us  if you need more information about an investigation.