A common question we receive at GroupOne Background Screening is what can a person do if they discover an error in their background report? Foremost, talk to the employer. You should explain the report’s errors and tell the employer you intend to file a dispute with the employment screening company. Although the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) does not require the employer to hold the job for you, a sympathetic employer might be willing to give you a chance to correct any errors.
You should file a dispute with the employment screening company that made the error. You may first call the company and tell them about the error. You should immediately follow-up with a written dispute letter pointing out the errors in the report. Send your letter certified mail, with a return receipt requested.
Along with your letter you may submit information that verifies your side of the story. For example, you may have a common name. The background check report may show a criminal record for someone with your first and last name but with a different middle initial.
The process for disputing errors in an employment report is the same as the process for disputing errors in your credit report. For more about filing disputes, along with a sample dispute letter, see the Federal Trade Commission publication How to Dispute Credit Report Errors.
For additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact GroupOne at 1-800-683-0255 or helpdesk@gp1.com.