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Comment by devy | Hacker News Reader

Astonishing excerpt:

      The official confirmed that one person did enlist, and that only one person 
      was employed by Facebook, one person by Apple, two at Morgan Stanley and 
      several at other prominent financial institutions.

I wonder if these company HRs were actually doing any background checks at all? They certainly do ask for a lot of forms to fill out...

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I had a background check once. They asked for my dates of attendance at my alma mater, which I provided. Then they called for clarification, because the dates they got from the university didn't match - I took 4 years to do a 4 year degree, graduating in 2009, but somehow the information they got suggested that I started in August 2007 and "left" in October 2008 - although they did agree that I had a degree.

I tried to explain to them that the dates they had managed to get from the university were for a job I had on campus, and that I hadn't done a bachelor's in a year. "Yes, sir, but if I can just confirm that you were there August 2007 through October 2008, then this will clear things up." So I did the expedient thing.

I had an incredibly similar experience. My employer's third party background check company was able to confirm my degree, but claimed I'd gotten it in a year, and so my entire school section was listed on the report as (large, red): "UNCONFIRMED" (they never contacted me). I was somewhat worried, since there's some strong language about how if this background check doesn't go well the offer is voided or something, but my recruiter just laughed and said it happens all the time.

These people had degrees from real schools, they just enrolled in the fake school afterward so they could renew their visas.

And yes, companies do background checks. I received a copy of mine, as everyone is legally entitled to do, and it included information such as what school I graduated from.

>they just enrolled in the fake school afterward so they could renew their visas

So Facebook, who from what I hear around these parts, hires only the best and brightest, wasn't curious about how or why these incredibly smart foreigners were working and attending "UNNJ"?

How would they have found out? In my (limited) experience, background checks verify the information you provide, and maybe do a credit check and look through court records. It's not like they send investigators to follow you around. How would they have known someone was enrolled in a random scam school, if they didn't volunteer the information?

I would have guessed that the school sponsoring your visa is listed somewhere, and Facebook definitely should be looking at visas for foreign employees.

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