Page 8: Articles from Daniel Cohen

It might not seem fair, but companies are now able to research your background to determine if you're moonlighting.

Identity theft is the kind of situation that feels like a personal, financial, and legal attack – all at once. And it basically is. One day, everything looks normal. The next day, there is a bank charge you didn’t make, a credit card you never opened, a debt collector calling about an account you don’t recognize, or a credit score that suddenly makes no sense.

Background check errors happen way more often than the screening industry would have you believe. Here’s a number that feels quite uncomfortable: a 2024 study published in Criminology found that 60% of participants had at least one false-positive error on a regulated background check report. Sixty percent. That’s not some rare glitch in the matrix. That’s the baseline.

Identity theft is when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission. They can use your name, Social Security number, credit card number, bank account information, medical insurance number, or other identifying details to get money, credit, services, medical care, tax refunds, employment, or other benefits. That is the basic identity theft definition most people are aware of.