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).
the company that did my background check changed and added charges put the same charge down on five different sheets of paper to make it look like alll five were different charges. Put in charges that were dismissed and didnot put in the fact that they were dissmissed added a robbery and grand theft and gave me eight years probation, where the period of probation whould mean that I am still on probation. When I informed my would be employer of this errors he felt that no company could make such errors and refuse to consider me for hire i=even if they got changed right. Is thre any way I kind stop this company from doing this. When I told the company of there errors they statted they could not be respodsible for any misstakes made in a background ckeck., and would not even concider changing tthem even they IU could prove the gross mistakes they made.
Edward, you have a few options:
Find out which company did your report and request a copy. By law they have to provide you with a copy.
Get an independent copy of your report so that you can compare what another company would report. You can use IAmScreened.com’s silver package for this!
Get a lawyer to review your case, it sounds like there may be some gross misconduct on the part of your potential employer and possibly the background screening firm.
Familiarize yourself with your rights: Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
You are welcome to use the contact form here to have our background check experts offer specific advice for your situation: Contact IAmScreened
Good luck!
What is considered an official background check? Or is this the wrong forum to be asking?
Tim,
It depends on the purpose of the check. Employers typically look in three areas: 1) confirm applicant identity, 2) check criminal records from the county or state level, 3) conduct job specific searches, like DMV records for drivers.
If you’re concerned about what may show up in your background report, it’s important to get a copy from a reputable company. I Am Screened’s parent company, Backgrounds Online, works with companies across the US to conduct their employment screening. Because of this experience, I Am Screened is able to offer searches that are consistent with nationwide hiring practices.
I hope this helps!