Press Release

DATE: February 23,2006

SUBJECT: Assisting retailers in the $31 billion battle of Retail Shrink

Employee theft is the biggest security concern facing U.S. companies today, according to a recent survey by ASIS International, a Virginia-based security trade organization. Employee theft comprises a major part of the overall $31 billion loss taken by U.S. retailers each year, which is known as "retail shrink," and includes everything from employee theft to shoplifting.

One proven, cost-effective tool to assist in battling the employee theft element of retail shrink is pre-employment screenings. These screenings are used by retailers to reduce the risk from potentially untrustworthy employees.

These screenings are now even more effective, thanks to the efforts of USIS's pre-employment screening and drug testing services business based in Tulsa, Okla., and Employment Background Investigations of Owings Mills, Md. These two companies, which specialize in providing background screening services, will now jointly provide USMA National Theft Database™ information to retailers across the country.

This proprietary database contains about one million client-contributed incident records of confirmed employee theft and shoplifting. Over the past few years, USMA National Theft Database screening has identified nearly 45,000 applicants with records of theft, saving retailers millions of dollars.

USIS and EBI's collaboration will advance the growth of the database through contributions of information by both companies' retail client bases. Business clients will benefit from greater access to information key to their employment candidate selection and loss prevention efforts.

Retailers established the USMA National Theft Database in 1917, when they began sharing theft data to prevent the hiring of known thieves. Today, thousands of locations throughout the United States, including one-third of the nation's largest retailers, contribute and share information through the USMA National Theft Database. The database houses information of theft and fraud, which includes employee theft, shoplifting, refund/credit card fraud, and the passing of bad checks.

Media Contact: Michael John, 703.637.1694, michael.john@usis.com

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Established in 1996, USIS (www.usis.com), headquartered in Falls Church, Va., helps businesses, federal agencies, and institutions protect critical assets, evaluate information, and identify and mitigate risk by offering a broad range of services including business intelligence and risk management solutions, background investigations and drug screening solutions, security and related professional services including national security related staffing and training, and critical program support for institutions, commercial businesses, and federal agencies. The company's three divisions include the Investigative Services Division, the largest supplier of background investigations to the U.S. Government; the Commercial Services Division, a premier pre-employment and drug screening company that develops and uses the most comprehensive technology and resources available to commercial clients nationwide; and the Professional Services Division, which provides cleared personnel supporting critical federal programs. USIS has more than 6,800 employees located in all 50 states and overseas.