A job offer disappeared. An apartment fell through. The report said you had a criminal case, a warrant, or a sex-offender registration entry. It was someone else, or it was a dismissed or expunged case that should not have been there.
Background check companies are consumer reporting agencies. Federal law requires them to use reasonable procedures to keep criminal and public-record information accurate. Matching you to a record on name and age alone, while the public file shows a different middle initial or date of birth, is the fact pattern we see over and over.
Attorney Nathan DeLadurantey represents Wisconsin consumers in these cases. Consultations are free. Call 414.377.0515 or contact us online for a free consultation.
Screening Companies That Prepare These Reports
- Checkr
- Sterling
- HireRight
- First Advantage
- Accurate Background
- RealPage / Leasing Desk on the housing side
Others use the same public-record vendors and make the same matching mistakes.
Errors That Support a Case
- Someone else's conviction, arrest, or registry listing
- A dismissed, expunged, or sealed Wisconsin case still reported as open
- A misdemeanor reported as a felony
- One case listed two or three times
- A non-conviction older than the FCRA reporting limit
- A photo or physical description that is obviously not you
Wisconsin Adds Another Layer on Jobs
Even when a record is yours, the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act generally bars an employer from refusing to hire you because of an arrest or conviction unless the offense is substantially related to the job. That is a separate issue from the FCRA claim against the screening company. We look at both. We do not handle every employment-discrimination matter, and we will say so if the better home for that piece is an employment lawyer.
What to Send Us Today
- The background report PDF
- The employer's or landlord's denial, rescinded offer, or termination note
- The public record (CCAP, WORCS, or registry page) that shows the mismatch
- Any dispute you already sent
- Dates: when you applied, when you got the report, when the offer or unit died
Do not wait to call until a credit bureau finishes a 30-day investigation. These reports usually do not run through Equifax in the first place.
Cost
Consultations are free. FCRA fee-shifts in most winning cases, so you typically do not pay us out of pocket to sue the screening company.
Related Pages
Call 414.377.0515 or contact us online. Attach the report to your email if the form cannot accept a file.