I got my fingerprints done for a government job. I’m 23 and have 3 kids, currently staying at home. My husband is in the military and we’ve moved twice in the past 3 years.
I got my fingerprints done without worrying because I’ve only worked 2 jobs and I don’t have a criminal background. But today I received an email saying that back on February 13, 2023, there was an incident of possible stalking against me. I never got a call, letter, or email about this. It surprised me since we moved to our area about 2 and a half months before that incident. The employer who did the background check wants to explain what led to this and what happened afterward, but there’s nothing to explain?
I’m just confused and don’t know how to clear my name from this.
You should ask for a copy of the background check, you have the right to it. The report should list whatever this charge is under the state and county it was filed in. Call that police department for a copy of the report, and also call the courthouse for the filings. You might need to hire a lawyer to help clear the charges.
It’s possible that this record is wrongfully connected to you. It could be that someone with a similar name to yours was charged with that offense. Records can sometimes be processed incorrectly (just look at Devin Patrick Kelley). Talk to the government employee handling your paperwork and ask to speak to someone who can help resolve the issue. Try to have a conversation in person or over the phone to explain your situation. If this is a mix-up, you probably won’t need a lawyer, but be ready to spend some time getting the right documents together.
@Remy
That’s the other thing, my name on the email is misspelled. I have two first names. For example, ‘Sarah Lee’ but in the email, I’m addressed as ‘Last Name, Sara’.
Drew said: @Remy
That’s the other thing, my name on the email is misspelled. I have two first names. For example, ‘Sarah Lee’ but in the email, I’m addressed as ‘Last Name, Sara’.
That sounds like the most likely explanation. They should be able to gather enough information to show that you are not the person under investigation. But be prepared for some effort on your part to prove that you’re not connected to this. Some people in security do their research, but not everyone does. Just stay persistent with HR and be polite, and you should be alright. Good luck.
This kind of issue happens often with background checks. The fact that you have no idea where this came from is a big clue. If stalking charges were even alleged, you would know about it.
@Remy
I can confirm that ‘improper association’ happens. My family tends to reuse the same names. I deal with issues from a cousin who refuses to pay bills.
@Remy
I can also confirm that improper association happens. My dad was arrested in Colorado because of a warrant in California for larceny. He was in Texas working on an oil rig when the crime happened. It turned out there was a person in California with the same name and a similar social security number and birthday. It was strange but pretty easy to fix once he figured it out.
Were you applying for Secret or Top Secret clearance?
If it’s Secret, there’s no way some allegation would show up from a simple background check. Your criminal history is based on arrests or convictions, not investigations.
If it’s Top Secret, maybe if they interviewed someone who said something like, ‘Yeah, she is a stalker!’
First step, call the person who contacted you and clarify that this isn’t right and ask for details on the reporting source.
Second step, investigate this thoroughly.
Third step, ask for proof that this is in your background check.
This happened to me for a teaching job fingerprint check. I called back, furious because I was about to lose my job. They accused me of assaulting an elderly person. It turned out they had the wrong paperwork on top of the pile. I got an apology later. Those guys seem to be overworked. If you’re honest, call the agency doing the check and make them verify the details.
Put in the time and effort to legally resolve this. You might need to hire a lawyer to get all the details quickly and to ensure the right paperwork is filed to clear it up.
When I was young and buying my first home, a similar thing happened to me where a debt was wrongly assigned to me. It took a lawyer and 30 days to clear it up, costing me around $700, while the actual debt was about $250.
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It’s probably not a big deal. Someone likely has a birthday similar to yours and a similar name. That’s in the system. They run the check and delete your prints from the computer.
Dispute the information. Mistakes happen all the time. This could be related to someone with a similar name. If nothing is actually wrong, just file a dispute. The notice in your background check should explain how to do it.
@Dex
This is what I wanted to say as someone who runs checks frequently. Often, it could be a charge linked to someone with the same name who isn’t you.
Fun fact. Different government agencies look for matching points in fingerprints, and there’s not a set number of points needed for a match. A standard fingerprint check at your local police department might consider as few as 12 matching points as a match. This is what they use for databases like CODIS and NCIC.
The FBI usually requires 16 matching points. Interpol and other international agencies use the same 16 point criteria.
Homeland Security and other agencies know that even with 12 or 16 points, many people can match. They typically require 20 points to consider the print from the same person.
Another fun fact: Only identical twins have more than 20 matching print points. If you have a match at 20 points, it means the print is yours.
I found this out when my fingerprints matched an 18 point case related to a bank robbery where several people were killed, and the suspect was never caught. This was in Arizona in 1977. I was born in 1982 and have never been to Arizona.
When I was arrested at 19, I spent over 40 hours in an interrogation room with several FBI agents who kept reprinting me to see if I was lying about my identity or age.
I just had to wait it out. Eventually, they decided I wasn’t the person they were looking for, especially since the description of the robber was an older, dark-skinned black man. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t even born when it happened. It all came down to my skin color.
Regardless of whether your name is the same or your social security number is similar, they are using the fingerprints you submitted, which likely have a 10 point match. Call and ask for the print point match number, and if they say anything less than 16 points, tell them you will hire a lawyer and file a complaint against the agency responsible for the match.