The media is filled with accounts of fraud artists who wreak havoc on unsuspecting victims, only to move on and take up in another place, then engage in a repeat performance. Chronic perpetrators of fraud usually leave a trail of evidence of illicit behavior in their wake, such as lawsuits, liens, judgments, and criminal complaints. In order to prevent potential victims from discovering their lawless behavior they routinely provide false information about their identity.
The misleading identifying information can be as subtle as using a middle name as a first name, or slightly misspelling a surname, such as using “Mac” instead of “Mc.” If the fraudster has a common surname such as Smith, the use of a false date of birth can make it harder to connect the person with past schemes. Or the attempt to cover a trail might entail the use of somebody else’s identity altogether – usually an innocent person with a good history and reputation.
Regardless to what lengths the misrepresentation goes, a skilled investigator will normally find warning signs that someone is not who they say they are. This makes it essential that anyone with whom you are making a substantial investment provide a detailed résumé, and an authorization and release to conduct a background investigation. The team at ResultQuest has conducted hundreds of such investigations, and in many instances has detected irregularities that helped clients avert a potential disaster.
Among the red flags of identity misrepresentation discovered by ResultQuest over the years are:
- Unverifiable Social Security number
- Gaps or inconsistencies in address history
- Inability to produce a verifiable work history
- No associated driver license
- Unsupportable education or degrees
- Lack of any public record references
When dealing with strangers, it is best to invest in a comprehensive background analysis and avoid a costly lesson at the hands of a fraudster. The professionals at ResultQuest stand ready to provide you with Knowledge for Informed Decisions about prospective business partners. Call us at 713-781-9040 to discuss ways we can help.