Email Background Check: Were They Pulling My Leg? (application, applications, employer)

[Travel'r]

I had a potential employer hire me, and tell me that they needed my email address for the background checkers, and I would then receive something via email later that day from the background checking company to fill out. They told me it would take five days or more for this thing to be processed once I had filled out all the information and emailed it back.

Has anyone heard of this? I'm kinda sure they were just pulling my leg to "buy time" because almost all of my previous employers had done background checks and this process was news to me!
I was "hired" and the background check was the last formality (no worries there.)
Of course, the place ended up saying "oops, we don't need any more help" when I called several days later wondering why I hadn't yet received the background check email form to fill out.
Since then I have wondered about this. Were they pulling my leg?

Thanks for any input.

[tasmtairy]

I think they were full of crap

I did background checks for the last co I worked for and did it online with a SS and current address.

OOPS

Sorry!

[camp_steveo]

Originally Posted by Travel'r

I had a potential employer hire me, and tell me that they needed my email address for the background checkers, and I would then receive something via email later that day from the background checking company to fill out. They told me it would take five days or more for this thing to be processed once I had filled out all the information and emailed it back.

Has anyone heard of this? I'm kinda sure they were just pulling my leg to "buy time" because almost all of my previous employers had done background checks and this process was news to me!
I was "hired" and the background check was the last formality (no worries there.)
Of course, the place ended up saying "oops, we don't need any more help" when I called several days later wondering why I hadn't yet received the background check email form to fill out.
Since then I have wondered about this. Were they pulling my leg?

Thanks for any input.

sounds like a scam.

[Travel'r]

Thanks! I figured as much, and this will be a "red flag" in the future not to waste time with anyone else with this "bright idea."

They didn't want the SS #, and I gave them the benefit of the doubt because of all the identity thefts, and more people being reluctant to provide their SS# on applications these days (not to mention, new technology-resources) -- and Folks wanting to make sure they are already hired before providing it.

Thanks!

[J Arp]

Well they could be hip and trendy and do a google search for your email address and potentially see what forums you may frequent. Or if you have your email on facespacemybooksocialcrap site it would pop up. But if they were claiming to do the old fashioned background check with your email I'm not seeing it..

[Travel'r]

Originally Posted by J Arp

Well they could be hip and trendy and do a google search for your email address and potentially see what forums you may frequent. Or if you have your email on facespacemybooksocialcrap site it would pop up. But if they were claiming to do the old fashioned background check with your email I'm not seeing it..

Yup, it was for the old fashioned BGC.
(If they googled my email, they'd get a post about bad vets selling bad dog food