Mistakes on a background check are not a common occurance, but they can happen and just a little bit of knowledge can help you get a mistake corrected quickly and efficiently.

Probably the most common errors found on background checks come from employment verifications.  Maybe the dates worked were reported incorrectly or the job title wasn’t right.  Your best line of action, should this happen to you, is to contact your former employer’s Human Resources (or whoever it was that misreported the information) and ask them to correct their records. 

Did a criminal record show up that’s definitely not yours?  Many people believe that criminal records are looked up using a person’s social security number, but that’s actually not the case.  Courthouses will reference records using a name and date of birth.  That said, a criminal with just your name and date of birth could commit crimes and try to pass themselves off as you, leaving you in a world of hurt.

On the other hand, did you have a criminal record you were told (by your lawyer or the judge) was dismissed or expunged and it re-appeared on your background check?  Reputable background check companies don’t report dismissed cases as a matter of ethics and expunged cases shouldn’t even be found.

Whatever sort of mistake was returned on your background check, take comfort in knowing that the law is on your side.  An employer running a background check on you must have your written consent according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).  Furthermore, should the employer find information on your check which may prevent them from hiring you, they must give you written notice and a minimum of 5 working days to dispute the results.  You also have the right to know the name and contact information of the company who completed the check.  Once you file a dispute, the background check company is obligated to check it out and fix it whenever possible.  They must then prove that to you by sending you and your employer and updated background check. 

Of course, the best way to find out ahead of time if there are any mistakes or errors on your background check is by ordering one on yourself using IAmScreened.com.  The reports are simple to order, average 1 to 3 working days to complete and will give you the peace of mind that there are no errors on your background check (and even if there are, the staff at IAmScreened will work with you towards a resolution).