‘I didn’t even know I was a felon’: Woman goes through routine background check. It backfires
Having a background check, even if you've done nothing wrong, can be a nerve-wracking experience. According to Forbes, these screenings are a deep dive into the history of a job candidate by a third-party company, delving into public records, credit bureaus, law enforcement records, academic records, and previous work history.
Recently, financial worker Samantha (@notsamanthafox) went viral for sharing how a background check revealed she was a felon—and she had no idea. Her video has garnered over 309,000 views as of publication.
According to Samantha, the background check her job conducted uncovered three felony charges from 2014 for "burglary," "identity theft," and "possession of a controlled substance."
"Those are all on my record and have been since 2014, and I did not know that," she says. "I don't know how I got hired at the job I'm at currently, which is a financial firm, and no one caught it."
Veremark, a background check and screening platform, elaborates on what a criminal background check looks for. Generally, these thorough dives unearth any felony convictions, misdemeanor convictions, pending criminal cases, civil judgments, prison records, whether someone is on the domestic terror watch list, and arrests that led to a conviction. Some companies will even request checks for arrests that either did not lead to a conviction or were expunged or sealed.
Fortunately for Samantha, she says her background check also proved that her identity was stolen.
"They were able to clear me by my fingerprints, knowing my fingerprints are not in the [FBI] system," Samantha says. "But for some reason, someone used my name and birth date and committed some crimes in 2014."
Samantha concludes her video with a warning. "If you're going to go apply for a job, especially at a freaking financial firm, know what's on your freaking background check," she says. "Don't be a dumba** like me walking around with three counts of felony charges."
@notsamanthafox I didnt even know I was a felon. ???? #backgroundcheck #felonsoftiktok #virall #latinas ♬ original sound - Samantha ????
Viewers were shocked, with many believing that the background check flagged the wrong person instead of her identity being stolen.
"Part of my job is searching criminal records, and this is why we always run a name w/ DOB and SSN. You would not believe how many times… …people have had identical names and DOBs. It's freaky how common it is," one shared.
"Call the background check company and dispute!! It is sounds like it is reported in error and you need to get the court to correct their records so you are no longer associated," another advised.
"Some companies don't use the middle name for background checks. Some girl has my name and bday (diff middle) so I have to specify to use my middle name," a third explained.
Others shared their own experiences of discovering charges they were unaware of.
"Found out I have a bench warrant for an unpaid speeding ticket from 2017 and I had no clue," a viewer wrote.
"My brother had his SSN card taken and some dude used the number as an ID at a misdemeanor traffic stop and the cop didn't even check into it. Took months to remove," a second viewer shared.
"My mom got pulled over and was cuffed- someone with her exact name, middle, last, and maiden name, same bday, had a serious warrant out for her. My mom only got cleared bc of not having the tattoo," another added.
The Daily Dot reached out to Samantha via email for more information.
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