What can I do if the background check company verified false information after my dispute?

Question

I disputed a criminal charge on my background report because it clearly isn’t mine, with a different middle name, different date of birth, and different county. I sent them my driver’s license, explained the mismatch in detail, and waited for them to fix it. Instead, they sent back a letter saying they “verified” the information and that it would stay on my report. Verified how? They didn’t ask me for more details, and they didn’t explain what they checked. They just stamped “verified” on someone else’s record and left it attached to my name. Now the employer is moving forward with the denial, and I’m stuck with a response that makes no sense. How can information that’s obviously wrong be “verified”? It feels like they didn’t even review what I sent.

Consumer Attorneys · Accepted Answer

A "verified" response doesn't mean the information is accurate — it often just means the screening company didn't conduct a meaningful reinvestigation. When you dispute information and provide clear evidence of an error, the screening company has a legal duty under the FCRA to:

Conduct a reasonable reinvestigation of the disputed information
Review all evidence you provided
Contact the original source and verify the match
Correct or delete information that cannot be verified as accurate

If the screening company ignored your evidence and simply rubber-stamped the error as "verified," they've violated federal law. This is especially egregious when you provided proof — like mismatched personal identifiers — that clearly demonstrates the record belongs to someone else.

What you need to do now:

Save the original dispute you sent, including all evidence
Keep the "verified" response from the screening company
Document how the identifiers don't match (name, DOB, location)
Gather any additional proof that distinguishes you from the person in the record

Send us your dispute submission, the screening company's verification response, and proof of the mismatch. We can escalate this immediately and force a real investigation. If the screening company maintained false information after a sham reinvestigation, you may have grounds for a strong FCRA claim, including compensation for lost employment, emotional distress, and potentially punitive damages for willful violations.

"Verified" doesn't mean correct — it often just means they didn't do their job. We can prove they failed to investigate properly and make them accountable for the harm they've caused.