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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2017 11:38:13 GMT -5
Quite simply, they are trying to determine if you have serious financial issues: living beyond your means; gambling problems; criminal restitution due; tax liens; bankruptcy filings; or other financial "red flags". If you do, you are a potential security risk to the agency. Your precarious financial situation could make you susceptible to bribery, accepting kickbacks, or the sale of personally identifiable information on the black web. Upon information and belief, credit background screening is part of any government hiring process where the person to be hired would have access to sensitive information. Do they run the checks for internal candidates as well? I realize they get authorization to do so, but wondering if they skip over this portion for internals, as the internals already have access to such sensitive information? Yes, after offer is accepted and before reporting you have to go get fingerprinted and fill out an SF 86 background investigation. Someone with an offer in last class had the offer withdrawn--what was said at training by a fellow newbie |
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Post by christina on Aug 19, 2017 11:39:57 GMT -5
Quite simply, they are trying to determine if you have serious financial issues: living beyond your means; gambling problems; criminal restitution due; tax liens; bankruptcy filings; or other financial "red flags". If you do, you are a potential security risk to the agency. Your precarious financial situation could make you susceptible to bribery, accepting kickbacks, or the sale of personally identifiable information on the black web. Upon information and belief, credit background screening is part of any government hiring process where the person to be hired would have access to sensitive information. Do they run the checks for internal candidates as well? I realize they get authorization to do so, but wondering if they skip over this portion for internals, as the internals already have access to such sensitive information? yes, they run the credit check for internal candidates. the company doing the background check runs a credit check as part of the background check. the good news is that ODAR having this info may mean background checks are complete and in ODAR's hands. |
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Post by gary on Aug 19, 2017 11:46:48 GMT -5
Do they run the checks for internal candidates as well? I realize they get authorization to do so, but wondering if they skip over this portion for internals, as the internals already have access to such sensitive information? yes, they run the credit check for internal candidates. the company doing the background check runs a credit check as part of the background check. the good news is that ODAR having this info may mean background checks are complete and in ODAR's hands. thx for whoever pointed out it's an Equifax report that is run. For future certers, when you make a cert, I'm thinking it's a good idea to run Equifax on our own to see what it says, especially for anyone who has that capability to do so inexpensively or free. But what of OHO's hands? |
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Post by christina on Aug 19, 2017 11:56:06 GMT -5
yes, they run the credit check for internal candidates. the company doing the background check runs a credit check as part of the background check. the good news is that ODAR having this info may mean background checks are complete and in ODAR's hands. thx for whoever pointed out it's an Equifax report that is run. For future certers, when you make a cert, I'm thinking it's a good idea to run Equifax on our own to see what it says, especially for anyone who has that capability to do so inexpensively or free. But what of OHO's hands? They are not oho yet! |
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Post by gary on Aug 19, 2017 12:29:03 GMT -5
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Post by gary on Aug 19, 2017 13:17:23 GMT -5
This morning I woke up to a similar email, specifically, late payment. However, I could not open the zip. Because I received the same error, I went to Credit Karma and it provides you with two credit reports, one from Trans Union and the other is from Equifax. Equifax is the one SSA uses. I know this because I contacted SSA myself after getting the email and they confirmed what report they used. I had one thing in collections for a small amount. I had thought paid that bill. Actually I did, but the provider moved and on two separate occasions the checks were returned to the bank since I do automatic bill pay. I was never notified by the bank that the bill was not paid. I contacted the collection agency and immediately paid the bill and asked for them to write an email to take it off my report. The collection agency sent me the email immediately and I forwarded it to SSA. The agency acknowledged the error. So now, this late payment was taken off my credit report. I was advised that this was sufficient. I too was unable to open the zip file containing my credit report and so, I decided to get the above credit reports to see what was going on. For whatever it may be worth, a friend of mine filed a FOIA on one of the 2016 certs and the FOIA response showed the background company used TransUnion for the credit report that time. |
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Post by kylearan on Aug 19, 2017 20:18:58 GMT -5
🎶 shoulda gone to freeee credit report dot com - I could have seen this comin' at me like an atom bomb... 😆
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Post by redryder on Aug 21, 2017 10:21:16 GMT -5
For those who talk about "insider/outsider," that may be an issue as far as your qualifications/knowledge about agency policy and references for the job. But when it comes to the actual hiring process, this is not a "promotion" for insiders. It is a competitive process and everyone is treated the same. No matter how many times an insider has had a security or background check, a new one will be done.
And one of the concerns is whether the candidate has any history that suggests there may be a predisposition to misuse of the government position. That could be credit card misuse (ALJs are issued these for travel). Criminal misuse of the SSA information (remember we have those employees who set up phony accounts and get benefit checks). Bribery from representatives (does Huntington ring a bell?).
My spouse was born overseas. When I went through the security clearance, I was asked if he had any allegiance to a foreign government (the country where he was born)? My response? "I don't think so, but you can ask him. He is in the ALJ office three doors down from me."
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Post by coffeeman on Aug 21, 2017 11:12:32 GMT -5
I was part of the OPM data breech. What I find interesting is that the credit check has not produced an alert through the system set up to do monitoring. Anyone else in the same position?
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Post by rp on Aug 21, 2017 11:44:07 GMT -5
I was part of the OPM data breech. What I find interesting is that the credit check has not produced an alert through the system set up to do monitoring. Anyone else in the same position? Same here. I am wondering if it is because it is an authorized credit check and would only count as a "soft" credit check, as opposed to a "hard" credit check. But that is just a WAG. |
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Post by richie on Aug 21, 2017 11:51:09 GMT -5
I was also interpreting this email about credit issues as a good sign. I've been on the registry for about 2 years now. This is the 3rd cert I've made. No offers yet, obviously. But the thing is, I didn't get this email about credit issues for either of the first 2 certs, and the late payments in my credit report are several years old and have been there all along. I know this because I had to explain them to my mortgage lender 2 years ago when I bought a house. I'm sure there are a million possible reasons why I might get this email for the first time now, but the first one that came to mind is that maybe I am closer to being in position to get an offer this time than I was the first 2 times. You know, maybe the first 2 times I wasn't close enough to the top of the list for any GAL, so they knew I wasn't going to get an offer, so they didn't bother going through my credit report, but maybe now that's changed. Thoughts, anyone?
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Post by rp on Aug 22, 2017 12:28:53 GMT -5
Yes, after offer is accepted and before reporting you have to go get fingerprinted and fill out an SF 86 background investigation. Someone with an offer in last class had the offer withdrawn--what was said at training by a fellow newbie FWIW, I doubt they make you fill out an SF86, which is for national security level clearances. Probably more like a SF85/P. Likely so -- and also -- it will all be done through e-QIP, I am betting. |
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Post by Pixie on Aug 22, 2017 14:32:04 GMT -5
Yes, after offer is accepted and before reporting you have to go get fingerprinted and fill out an SF 86 background investigation. Someone with an offer in last class had the offer withdrawn--what was said at training by a fellow newbie FWIW, I doubt they make you fill out an SF86, which is for national security level clearances. Probably more like a SF85/P. Yes, the short form, not that horrid SF86. |
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Post by Pixie on Aug 22, 2017 14:36:09 GMT -5
Do they run the checks for internal candidates as well? I realize they get authorization to do so, but wondering if they skip over this portion for internals, as the internals already have access to such sensitive information? Yes, after offer is accepted and before reporting you have to go get fingerprinted and fill out an SF 86 background investigation. Someone with an offer in last class had the offer withdrawn--what was said at training by a fellow newbie Yes, the offer was withdrawn, but it wasn't because of a background investigation. Actually, there were two for the last class that had the offers withdrawn, unfortunately. |
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Post by judgymcjudgypants on Aug 22, 2017 14:40:16 GMT -5
So, generally speaking, what sorts of things could get an offer withdrawn? I can't imagine closing a practice or resigning from a position after accepting an offer, only to have the rug pulled out from under me.
J
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Post by Ready-Now! on Aug 22, 2017 14:45:18 GMT -5
maybe something that occurred at training?
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Post by judgymcjudgypants on Aug 22, 2017 14:47:35 GMT -5
I suppose you could flunk training.
Hmmmmmmm . . .
J
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Post by Pixie on Aug 22, 2017 14:53:04 GMT -5
Neither made it to training. Both offers were revoked a day or so after being made.
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Post by judgymcjudgypants on Aug 22, 2017 14:57:16 GMT -5
Moral: keep it under your hat for a few days.  J |
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Post by mrmojo on Aug 22, 2017 15:02:50 GMT -5
Neither made it to training. Both offers were revoked a day or so after being made. Care to leave us in more suspense? We are left to our imaginations to speculate on why their offers were withdrawn. I'd hazard to guess that it turned out both of the people were actually stacks of kittens in trench coats. |
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