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South Florida Convicted Felons Doing Background Checks on Job Applicants?

Frank Falowski, a convicted insurance scammer who now does background checks for job applicants (mugshot.com photo)

By Jose Lambiet, GossipExtra.com, for SouthFloridaReporter.com, Sept. 14, 2015 – FORT LAUDERDALE — A husband-and-wife team singled out by Broward County as notorious insurance scammers has found a new line of work.

And it’s a doozy — one made only in Florida!

These days, Frank and Christine Falowski perform background screenings for South Florida job applicants in government, law enforcement, education and private companies dealing with elderly and child care.

The Falowskis’ new venture, A Phoenix Fingerprinting, does sensitive checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement using social security numbers, private addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and fingerprints.

Never mind that Frank’s on probation until 2017, according to Broward County records.

At first Christine, who conducts business under her maiden name of Smith, said they don’t own Phoenix.

Never mind that Frank’s listed as owner on state incorporation papers.

Then she said they barely see applicants’ private info, and never see it again once it’s entered into the FDLE system.

What she didn’t say is that industry standards mandate the records to be saved for a month.

When asked if convicted felons should be handling such information, Christine just said: “Everybody’s got a past.”

The duo came on the radar screens of local authorities in 2007 after both were arrested for filing false insurance claims and writing phony pain-pill prescriptions using dead doctors’ names.

They pleaded no contest to organized fraud, and Christine to conspiracy to traffic oxycodone. Both were sentenced to probation.

In 2013, Frank was nabbed for practicing medicine without a license in Tamarac. He served six months in prison and remains on probation until 2017.

If this were another state, the Falowskis would have no business trying to find out if job applicants are good people.

But Florida, I’m told, doesn’t regulate the mushrooming fingerprinting/background check business.

“This is outrageous,” said Dwight Walton, a former state trooper who happens to run his own background check company. “The state of Florida is one of the only states were our profession is unregulated.

“What if these people used applicants’ information to open a credit card or bank account?

“Folks who work in child or elderly care need to be screened. Would you want convicted felons to conduct those screenings?”

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