Carol Morello (2010) recently wrote an article in the Washington Post reporting on a sex offender who slipped through the census bureau screening process by using a fake social security card. He was discovered by a woman, who was home alone with her toddler, when he went to her home in accordance with his duties. The census worker gained information as to the people who lived in the house and their ages. The woman believed she recognized the worker from somewhere.  After he left, she immediately checked a sex offender web site and located a picture of the worker, but the name was different than the one that was given to her.  

                A spokesperson from the census bureau said that the employee passed a name check, but failed the fingerprint check. They said that they now have a new background screening policy; if the applicant's name, age, or social security number does not match, their application will be held up until the results from the fingerprinting are done. It seems to me that the census bureau could have used a company with extensive industry expertise who would have advised them to follow this policy in the first place.

References

Morello, C., (2010). Census Bureau adopts strict jobs screening after incidents. Washington Post. Retrieved from the web 7/07/10.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/26/AR2010052605266.html