Barthel Legal just recently had the privilege of helping a veteran restore their reputation after an online background-checking company recklessly ruined their good name.
My client was a stud while he was on active duty in the military. He was wounded in combat in Operation Iraqi Freedom and always held himself to the highest standards that can be achieved in the military. My client really worked hard to build his stellar reputation within the military community. However, an online background-checking company blew up this reputation.
A little while ago my client applied for a job. After several rounds of telephone interviews, the potential employer told my client that the job was his. Before they could give him the job, they informed him that he would need to do a quick background check.
My client thought nothing of it since he has no criminal history. He entered his social security number, name, and date of birth on the online form with the background checking company and submitted it.
Well, a few days later my client received an email from this potential employer stating that his background check results came back, and they could not hire him. Perplexed as to how this was possible, my client emailed the potential employer asking for an explanation. The employer forwarded the background check results to my client and my client nearly fell out of his seat.
This online background-checking company provided a background check to the potential employer stating that my client was convicted of several violent felonies. These included intimidating a witness; aggravated rape; stalking; domestic battery; assault and battery with serious bodily injury; and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
This background checking company produced an erroneous background check claiming that my client was convicted of everything from violent domestic violence to animal abuse. However, this background check was false, and my client had no idea why these horrible crimes were tied to his name.
My client did some research and discovered that an individual with the same name as my client was convicted of these crimes in the same general area where my client grew up. Unfortunately, the online background checking company did not check the birthdate or social security number associated with these crimes. Instead, the background checking company merely matched the first and last name. So, this other person’s crimes were appearing on my client’s background check.
My client hired Barthel Legal to take care of the issue. Not only were we able to get a five-figure monetary settlement, but Barthel Legal was also able to get the background checking company to change their reporting and explain their mistake to the potential employer.
After the removal of the errors, the potential employer was finally able to hire my client. As of the time this article was written, my client is still working for this employer. He is happily contributing to his veteran community and is thankful that Barthel Legal was there to stick up for his good name.
Errors on your credit report can take many shapes. It could be crimes you did not commit or crimes that were expunged or sealed. Background-checking companies often scrap data from public websites and then just regurgitate it whenever someone inquires about an individual. However, these background-checking companies do not check the validity of the information they are putting out in the world. This has devastating impacts on individuals like my client.
If you have any kind of errors on your background check that are causing you problems, then schedule a free consultation with Barthel Legal, APC to see if we might be able to resolve these issues for you.
