Have you ever wondered whether the information in your background check is actually accurate?

You might be surprised to learn that mistakes happen more often than many people realize. A background report may contain outdated information, records that belong to someone else, or information that should no longer appear. In February 2024, the National Institute of Justice sponsored a study showing that 60% of background checks contained a false-positive (i.e., the person was wrongly flagged for a criminal record) while up to 90% of background checks contained false-negatives (i.e., material omissions from a person’s record). These errors can affect employment, housing, insurance, and other important opportunities.

If you've ever applied for a job, rented an apartment, applied for a loan, or purchased insurance, there's a good chance someone looked at information about you before making a decision.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is the federal law that helps make sure those background reports are as accurate, fair, and private as possible.

A man lost his job due to someone else’s criminal record showing in his background check. Learn how these errors happen—and how to catch and fix them.