Have you ever thought about running a background check on someone? Have you ever thought about running one on yourself? That may seem like a silly question, why would you need to run a background check on yourself? The truth is, if you haven’t changed jobs recently or joined an organization that requires a background check, you may not know what will show up on your report.
If you have a common name, you can very easily have your background report mixed up with someone else’s. Is it possible for this to actually happen? Unfortunately, depending on the screening company that is running your background check, it can happen. If a background check isn’t conducted properly, you can very easily have your information mixed up with another individual. This happens, especially when the background check is done via an internet search and not through a reputable background screening company.
Mix-ups like these have cost people jobs, ruined reputations or limited their ability to join organizations. In the case of Patrick Padilla of Vallejo, California, Padilla was denied employment by Walmart because of a background check error. Patrick Chad Padilla shared the same first and last name with a criminal. They even shared the same birthday. They did not however, share the same middle name. Even so, the background check did not get verified against the Padilla’s middle name and the report came back with a list of crimes that he did not commit. The charges reported included criminal sexual contact and assault, among other violent charges. Patrick Chad Padilla did not commit these crimes, Patrick Saenz Padilla did. But, because the background check was not conducted properly, Patrick Chad Padilla was denied employment at Walmart.
In Milwaukee, Donnie Ward took a second job at Boston Store to help make ends meet. Less than five hours into her first shift at the job, Ward was called into meet with the human resource manager. She was told that she was being sent home for lying on her job application. Apparently her background check had come back and stated that she had been convicted of batter in 2006. Donnie Ward, a female, had not been convicted of any such charge. Don Ward, a male, however; had been. After two weeks of fighting the information on the report, Donnie Ward was offered her job back, but after the humiliation and stress she suffered, she politely declined.
Another way that an incorrectly run background check can cause problems if it is uncovers information about you that shouldn’t be there. Let’s say that the company issues the report on the correct person, but the report shows a criminal charge against you that was actually dropped. Unfortunately, when checks are done by google searches, or internet screening companies, the court reports are not verified and charges can remain for years even if they were dismissed.
When a reputable background screening company runs a report, these types of errors should not happen. Companies like SB Checks have trained professionals in place to analyze and confirm each report that comes in on an individual. Names, dates of birth, cities of record and other pertinent information are all verified so that the report isn’t run on the wrong person. In addition, if any charges do show up, SB Checks will verify the charges by having a professional known as a court runner, physically go to the courthouse where the charges are filed and verify that the charge is accurate.
So again, why should you run your own background check? The simple answer is to avoid these types of problems. Unfortunately, you have no say in who runs your background check when an employer or other organization orders the report, so until it comes back, you don’t know if there are problems that can occur. By this time, you have suffered embarrassment, stress and lost valuable time on the job having to fight the incorrect reporting. Instead, try running a self-check with SB Checks and know upfront what a potential employer or landlord might see. Having your background report in hand when applying for a job is also another great way to show the potential employer that you will always go the extra mile when it comes to being a valuable asset to the company.
SB Checks’ Self Check App offers three different tiers of reports to give you the peace of mind you need. Go online today to order or call (888)725-2535 for more information!