2012

2012

M A N A G E D I N T E G R I T Y E VA L U AT I O N ( P T Y ) LT D

WE CHECK YOUR CHOICES

Background Screening Index

INTRODUCTION
Established in 1988, MIE is the leading provider of background and pre-employment screening
services in South Africa. MIE concentrates exclusively on verifying the personal credentials of
candidates on behalf of its clients.
In the context of individual credential verifications, credentials are:
Attestations by individuals as to their education, skills, abilities, experience and good standing
Unattested attributes, including criminal and credit records.
Personal descriptors, including ID and Passport numbers, permanent residence permits
and drivers licences.
Although MIE offers a considerable catalogue of screening checks the purpose of this report
is to draw attention to those areas where the highest incidences of adverse results occur.
Statistics have therefore been drawn from the following background screening services:
Credit Checks
Criminal by AFIS (Fingerprint)
Criminal Detail per Category
Qualification Checks
Qualification Detail per Category
ID Verifications
Drivers Licence Verifications
The percentages are based on the total number of requests received by MIE
per verification type in 2012 and cover all sectors of business in South Africa.
MIE verifies 2,3 million credentials annually.

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CREDIT CHECKS
The percentage of adverse entries listed against candidates

South Africa has approximately 19-million credit active

for credit verifications conducted by MIE in 2012 is in the

consumers individuals who make purchases using credit

region of 20%-23% per month. These figures are based

that is available from a wide range of credit providers. Every

on the total number of credit requests received per month

credit active consumer has a credit report which is compiled

by MIE. Adverse entries listed against an individual include

by credit bureaus from their credit transaction history.

Disputes, Defaults, Consumer Notices, Judgments, Debt

Reviews and Sequestrations.

Credit Checks
22.95%
23.00%
22.58%
22.50%

22.00%

21.79%

21.50%

21.79%

21.31%
21.15%

21.04%

21.00%

20.50%

20.34%

20.33%

20.24%

20.00%

19.78%

19.79%

19.50%
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Credit Check Hits (Bad debt, Defaults, Judgements)

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CRIMINAL BY AFIS (FINGERPRINT)

The average percentage of candidates screened by MIE

has proven beyond a doubt to be more consistent.

whose records reflected risk in terms of criminal activity

This consistency is what assists employers to know the

is 16%.

whole truth about a candidates criminal record status.

The accuracy of the AFISwitch criminal checks is remarkable.

The Criminal Procedure Amendment Act 9 of 2012 affords

The only reliable method to verify whether someone has a

the candidate the option of having their criminal record

criminal record, or a pending case, against their name is by

expunged provided the conviction was a minor offence

submitting their unique fingerprint images. Using fingerprints

and occurred a decade or more ago.

Criminal by AFIS (Fingerprint)

18.50%
18.03%
18.00%
17.45%
17.50%
17.05%
17.00%

16.70%
16.40%

16.50%
16.08%
16.00%

15.73%

15.67%
15.29%

15.50%
14.81%

15.00%

14.45%

14.50%

14.16%

14.00%
13.50%
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Criminal by AFIS (Fingerprint)

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CRIMINAL DETAIL PER CATEGORY

2011/2012 Crime Statistics released by the SAPS revealed

Data gathered by MIE shows that positive Criminal Record

the following:

results are split into two significant groups: Positive Offences,

Contact crimes murder, attempted murder, sexual

offences, assault GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm), common
assault, robbery with aggravating circumstances,
common robbery and trio crime (carjacking, residential
and business robbery) account for 33% of the
countrys criminal activity.
Other serious crimes theft, commercial crime and
shoplifting account for 25.9%.
Property related crimes account for 25.7%.
Police action accounts for 8.7%.
Contact related crimes arson and malicious damage
to property account for 6.7%.

and Pending Cases.

Positive Offences are defined as instances where the
individual has been arrested, charged, tried and convicted
of the offence.
Pending cases indicate that the trial is not yet complete, and
that the judge still has to make a ruling as to whether the
individual is guilty or not. It is important to differentiate between
these two groups. Employers should not discriminate against
candidates with pending cases but rather aim to recheck
the candidate at regular intervals in the future.
MIE has classified all crimes into 10 major categories. Some
of the crimes that fall into these categories are as follows:

Crime Category

Examples of Crimes that fall under this category

Commercial Crimes

Selling, possession, buying of uncut diamonds. Hunting animals in a national park.

Selling wildlife without a permit. Infringement of Copyright.

Sexual Offences

Rape. Prostitution. Public Indecency.

Other

Loitering. Trespassing. Illegal gambling. Child Neglect. Being in possession of stolen goods.

Crimes against the

Carry/display any weapon in a public place. Discharging a firearm in an urban area.

Firearm Act

Possession of an unlicensed firearm or ammunition.

Crimes against the State

Desertion of Service. Concealment of Birth. Contempt of Court. Treason.

Offences against the income tax act. Rioting. Striking.

Narcotics

Possession, dealing, selling or use of prohibited dependence-producing drug or plants.

Selling/supplying liquor without a license.

Crimes against the Road

Driving without a valid drivers license. Driving an unlicensed vehicle. Drunken driving.

Traffic Act

Violation of Road Traffic Act.

White Collar Crimes

Frauds, forgeries and embezzlements. Bribery. Possession of fraudulent documents. Corruption.

Theft

Being in possession of stolen goods. Stealing goods. Attempting to sell stolen goods.

Violent Crimes

Arson. Assault. Robbery. Housebreaking. Murder. Kidnapping. Cruelty to Animals. Child abuse.
Intimidation.

Of the criminal record checks that MIE conducted in 2012, about 65% of the positive results were for Violent Crimes, Theft offences
and White-Collar crimes; Three very significant categories for companies to take note of when appointing a new employee.

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Criminal Detail per Category

Commercial Crimes: 0.50%
Sexual Offences: 1.18%
Other Crimes: 1.99%
Crimes against Firearm Act: 2.16%
Crimes against the State: 3.01%
Narcotics (Drugs/Liquor): 9.95%
Crimes against Road Traffic Act: 16.32%
White Collar Crimes: 18.86%
Theft Offences: 20.70%
Violent Crimes: 25.35%

Criminal Detail per Category (Pending Cases)

Commercial Crimes: 0.31%
Sexual Offences: 2.13%
Other Crimes: 2.24%
Crimes against Firearm Act: 2.90%
Crimes against the State: 3.30%
White Collar Crimes: 5.37%
Narcotics (Drugs/Liquor): 7.57%
Crimes against Road Traffic Act: 19.10%
Theft Offences: 23.65%
Violent Crimes: 33.43%

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QUALIFICATION CHECKS
Candidates who submit CVs with embellished qualification

Qualification checks also provide details pertaining to the

claims usually do so in the hope that a higher qualification

authenticity of the institution Its all very well to have a

will help them to be placed in a better position, with a

legitimate qualification but if the institution is not a

better salary.

recognised, accredited facility then the qualification is not

worth much more than the forged qualification from a

Qualification checks are used to confirm various portions

legitimate institution.

of information:
While both buying and selling of fraudulent qualification

The qualification claimed by the candidate is valid,

documents is a criminal offence, demand for and supply of

Courses that the candidate claims they are (or were)

these documents is on the rise. Technology is becoming a

registered for are legitimate,

lot easier to gain access to and more people are opting to

Marks attained are accurate.

try their luck at getting away with a false document.

Qualification Checks
19.00%
18.36%

18.50%
18.00%

17.78%

17.50%

17.11%

17.10%

16.98%

17.07%

17.00%
16.50%
15.96%

15.88%

16.00%
15.92%

15.50%

15.38%
14.98%

14.95%

15.00%
14.50%
14.00%
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Qualifications With Risk

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QUALFICATION DETAIL PER CATEGORY

There are a multitude of qualification classes that MIE works

The category that holds the highest cases of risk for South

with. Each qualification is classified according to the level of

African qualifications is the National Secondary Department.

the qualification, and the source of the qualification. Simply

Over 38% of all qualifications in this category return a result

put, this means that MIE is able to derive statistics based on

that is considered to have risk.

which entity holds the data used to verify the qualification.

It is noteworthy that International and African qualifications
The category with the lowest risk percentage is understandably

carry almost a 50% risk rate. The perception in the market is

the National Qualifications Register (NQR) qualifications.

that an employer wont be able to, or wont attempt to, verify

The awareness that MIE has brought to the employment arena

a qualification from another country. MIE works tirelessly to

with regards to verifications conducted using the NQR has

build relationships with all International and African institutions

caused job seekers to refrain from lying about qualifications

to make these verifications possible.

from these subscribing institutions. NQR verifications are

renowned for being quick, accurate and reliable.

Qualification Detail per Category

National Qualifications Register: 6.52%

National Secondary Umalusi: 7.75%

Membership: 9.42%

National Tertiary: 21.94%

Tertiary Short Course: 35.29%

National Secondary Department: 38.35%

International: 49.95%

African: 49.99%

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ID VERIFICATIONS
ID Verification confirms whether or not the ID number supplied

of 3,018 individuals were listed as victims of impersonation

by a candidate matches the candidates name and surname

for 2011. The potential losses associated with these listings

as validated by the Department of Home Affairs. MIE works

amount to R 10.7 million. The past three years have seen

closely with the various credit bureaus and the Department

the number of identity fraud victims increase by a massive

of Home Affairs to confirm a candidates identity.

185%. The SAFPS listed 2,785 victims of impersonation from

January to October 2012.

In April 2012 the Credit Ombudsman reported that according

to the South African Fraud Prevention Services (SAFPS) a total

ID Verifications
5.85%

6.00%

5.50%

5.00%

5.10%

4.50%

4.00%

3.75%

3.72%
3.45%

3.50%

3.28%

3.25%

3.62%

3.47%
2.86%

3.00%

3.15%
2.90%

2.50%
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ID With Risk

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DRIVERS LICENCE VERIFICATIONS

Forged learners and drivers licences are being sold across

Many organisations suffer extreme insurance claim losses

South Africa for anything between R800 and R4,500. It is

per year due to not verifying these credentials ahead of time.

crucial to verify a prospective candidates drivers licence

No insurance company will pay out on a claim if the driver

when the position applied for entails driving a company car.

of a vehicle is not licenced. Drivers licence verifications will

also provide details to the employer as to when the licence
will expire, or has expired.

Drivers Licence Verifications

40.00%
39.88%

36.82%

36.79%

35.00%
32.12%
30.03%
30.00%
29.79%

26.69%

29.09%

29.53%

25.00%
22.08%

24.74%
19.55%

20.00%

15.00%
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Drivers Licences With Risk

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ECONOMISTS PROJECTIONS FOR 2013 EMPLOYMENT

Experts are concerned about the employment crisis in South

Employers in most sectors of the South African labour

Africa which is emphasised by the high unemployment rate

market continue to be less optimistic about hiring permanent

of 25% as quoted by Statistics SA.

staff which will create a greater demand for temporary and

contract workers. With the demand for jobs being consistently

The 2013 Q2 Manpower Employment Outlook Survey states

higher than the availability, it is more important than ever for

that the South African labour market is expected to remain

employers to be vigilant in identifying risks associated with

downbeat. The survey indicates that South African employers

negligent and hap-hazard hiring.

are still being cautious with hiring plans for Quarter 2 2013; Only
9% of employers are expecting to increase staffing levels while
10% are anticipating a decrease and 80% forecast no change.

CONCLUSION
In Summary, the necessity for pre-employment and on-

MIE offers a host of services that will enhance your

going post-employment screening will never be eliminated.

organisations capacity to confirm the validity and authenticity

The consequences of negligent hiring will always dictate

of an individuals credentials. These services help to provide

that thorough vetting is a crucial step in an employers

a comprehensive and reliable profile of a candidate, assisting

placement procedure.

employers to make sound decisions regarding the suitability

of an individual for employment.

The reality is that the number of job seekers grows

disproportionately to the number of jobs available in the market.
This discrepancy is the fuel that keeps the CV-fraud fire alive.

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CONTACT MIE
General Contact Information
Internet Web Site

http://www.mie.co.za

Mail Address

[email protected]

Postal Address:

PO Box 525, IRENE, 0062

Physical Address:

Jean Park Chambers

Units 1 & 2
252 Jean Avenue
Centurion;
South Africa

Telephone:

+27 (12) 644 4000

Facsimile:

+27 (12) 644 2055

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