Posted by Jessica Ward on 2/15/13 11:42am
Msg #455989
On background checks--common name problems?
I have a strange question and after pondering it for several days it occurred to me that ya'll may have encountered the same problem, so I'm leaning on your wisdom in this regard.
Have you ever gotten an error on your background check fixed?
I've been having trouble with background checks (I passed, that's not the problem).
I got the full report back this week for my notary background check renewal.
I've had issues come up before--but it's a case of mistaken identity. You see, I have a very common name. Jessica L. Ward. When I was first married I used my full first name, middle initial, maiden name and hyphenated with my new last name.
My maiden name happens to begin with the same letter (I'm using X" for example here so as to not slander anyone accidentally--there are several people in my community with the same name, but just one whose identity gets mixed up with mine).
Here (finally) is my problem.
In each of the last locations where I have lived, there has been a Jessica X Ward. I was Jessica L XXXXX-Ward.
Going back 14 years, Jessica X Ward had a PO box a few boxes from mine. I was still just Jessica XXXXX at that time.
Ten years ago, there was a Jessica X Ward in the gigantic apartment complex I lived in. I Was Jessica L XXXXXX-Ward.
I started using just my married name after we'd been married for 5 years and people with my maiden name (unrelated to me) were in lots of legal trouble and credit trouble and it was forever coming back tome... thinking--perhaps foolishly--that simplifying my name would be easier, I did.
Now, flash forward 12 years, and Jessica X Ward also happens to live (again) on the same street as me--same town, new neighborhood. My mail carrier mentioned it to me. I understand she's since changed her name, but as of a couple of years ago was writing (bad) checks in her old name.
This has been a problem for me for a multitude of reasons--I had the police come to the door once asking about a $500 bad check for a vacuum cleaner at the K-Mart. I said "Officer, come on in, you'll see no $500 vacuum has ever visited this place!"
Thankfully, local law enforcement is aware of the two people of the same name on the same street thing. Or at least they were at that time, but many local businesses won't accept my check, even though they might accept one from my husband. I can work with that--I don't write checks anymore anyway.
I see on my background check that there are four addresses on my background check with a variety of name variations (some mine) that I've never lived at--all literally steps away from one another. I believe this to be the other person with the same name.
I presume one of these days, this woman is going to get caught bouncing these checks, and I'm concerned about it landing on my history, and endangering my commission.
Has anyone ever successfully had their background check corrected?
Also, this isn't just background checks, this is also credit history--but thankfully I'm very experienced with that--with my husband and I both having common names, we actually work with the credit bureaus every 60 days to keep other people's stuff off of our reports.
13 years ago I was issued a warrant for failing to appear to jury a traffic court, in a town I hadn't lived in for three years. I'd never received a summons--and couldn't have--I didn't have a driver's license, so I wasn't eligible to serve on a traffic jury (who juries traffic court anyhow?), even if I did live in the jurisdiction. It took a while to clear that up. As you can see, this is a long-standing headache issue. But I'd love some tips on taming it if anyone has ideas aside from changing my name.
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Reply by ReneeK_MI on 2/15/13 2:32pm
Msg #456042
Boy, that sounds like a whole lot of not fun. Have you ever looked at your full background check, and have you looked at your credit reports from all 3 bureaus? If I had to guess, a lot of your issues could stem from the CR's (since you're passing the BGC) - and the bureaus aren't exactly renown for being meticulous.
I have helped people clear identity issues with the bureaus, and all I can say is that it is not easy nor does common sense have any hand in the game. You have to paper-trail everything, and proving a negative is next to impossible. You can add a note to your files that such-and-such a/k/a is disputed, etc.
I know there's an NSA who does this kind of thing, and I think I know who it is (Barb L)? I don't want to say her last name in case I have it wrong, but surely someone here knows.
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Reply by JanetK_CA on 2/16/13 2:58am
Msg #456139
Thankfully, I've never had to deal with anything as complicated as your situation, but when I requested my free bgc from Lexis Nexis (last year?), I found info about a property in an area where I've never lived, owned by someone who is apparently deceased. (She was a "Jan" vs "Janet" and I don't remember if the middle initial was the same.
There was also something about criminal case number with no information about it that I haven't a clue what it might be from. (That one concerned me!) I tried to look it up online and there was nothing with that case number in the court files. I contacted Lexis Nexis, they opened an investigation for each one - I had to contact two separate departments to do so - and as I recall, they cleared both items from my record.
Worth a try.
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