For Atlanta single mom Krishna Tucker, everything she does revolves around creating stability for her two sons.
She spent years climbing the corporate ladder in the health care consulting industry, driven by a determination to give her boys a life away from their own upbringing. After a layoff, an abnormal mammogram and the end of her marriage, Tucker appeared to have a break in late 2025, securing a job she described as a “miracle” that pays $165 an hour. However, that proposal never materialized.
Tucker’s employment during onboarding through MBO Partners was halted after a background check by third-party screening firm HireRight flagged discrepancies in his work history. The report cited “potential conflicts” related to past contract roles and freelance consulting work that he later turned into his own business.
“Before I could even start, it was just torn up,” Tucker told Atlanta News First Investigates. “I cried and screamed. It’s not my fault. It’s literally a small problem and it was a mountain standing between me and making a living for me and my kids.”
Believing the job offer was final, Tucker found a new home to rent with the help of friends and family. His start date for his new job was set for mid-December.
However, the job offer was quickly taken off the table. When she reviewed the background report herself, Tucker identified a major error: According to notes in HireRight’s system, the company Tucker contracted with between 2017 and 2018 said she never worked there. After contacting his former employer directly, Tucker learned that the verification request had been submitted under the wrong last name.
“[The HR rep] “Well, the issue is, they sent me a request to verify the employment of Krishna Tucker, not Krishna Dawson,” said Tucker, whose last name was Dawson. Tucker reportedly disclosed this key detail on a form for his background check.
The same HR representative at Tucker’s former company emailed HireRight on December 17, 2025 to correct the mistake.
“I just found out that Krishna Tucker’s verification request is actually Krishna Dashan. I can confirm that Krishna Dashan was on assignment. [here],” read an excerpt from an email from an HR representative at HireRight.
Although the error was later corrected, Hireright allegedly continued to flag discrepancies with Tucker’s employment dates, which Tucker believed were the result of a name error on his background check.
While the error with her background check was unfortunate, Tucker is far from alone, as consumer advocates say background check mistakes are widespread and costly.
According to Consumer Justice, estimates place the probability of background check errors at 50% (2), a level described by the National Consumer Law Center as “extensive.” Ariel Nelson, a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, stated that weak oversight allows screening errors to persist, often at the expense of consumers (3).
“If Congress, federal agencies and states do not act to ensure background screening companies are closely monitored and hold them accountable for their repeated mistakes due to poor policies and practices, consumers will pay the price by losing housing and job opportunities while employers and landlords lose qualified employees and tenants,” Nelson said.
According to the Professional Background Screening Association (4), background checks are now standard practice, with approximately 95% of employers using them. HireRight is one of America’s largest background screening firms, serving more than 40,000 employers.
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But consumer reviews and federal complaint data suggest ongoing concerns with HireRight, as the company averages nearly one star on both Google and the Better Business Bureau (1). Data reviewed by Atlanta News First Investigates shows hireright complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau nearly tripled in 2025, with 91 complaints filed in 29 states.
While HireRight generally responded to background check errors within the required time frame, public records do not indicate how often those responses resulted in corrections.
Furthermore, some online complaints about HireRight seemed similar to Tucker’s experience. In a Better Business Bureau filing, a job applicant alleges a late November drug test incorrectly flagged marijuana and a prescription drug charge, despite a recent negative test for another employer (5).
On December 23, MBO Partners issued a “Final Adverse Action” notice rescinding Tucker’s employment offer (1). The company said it could not comment on the details of his case because of federal privacy laws, but stressed that candidates are given the opportunity to review and dispute background check reports before employment decisions are finalized.
Tucker is now juggling part-time work while continuing to apply for full-time roles, and has since filed a lawsuit against HireRight. Meanwhile, consumer advocates say her experience is a reminder that there are steps workers can take when a background check affects a job offer.
The first step is to know your rights. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, employers are required to notify applicants when a background report contributes to an adverse employment decision and provide information about the screening company used and the applicant’s right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information. Workers are also entitled to a free copy of the report used in decision (6).
Experts also recommend reviewing your credit and background reports before applying for jobs to catch errors early. Job seekers can request a free copy of their credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com, and may want to review state and local laws that limit what potential employers can ask and when.
If errors appear in your background check, disputes should be filed directly with the reporting agency, along with any supporting documentation. Agencies are typically allowed up to 30 days to investigate, a timeline that may conflict with immediate financial needs such as rent, health care or child care.
Workers who believe a screening company misused their report can also file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
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Atlanta News First Investigation (1); Consumer Justice (2); National Consumer Law Center (3); Professional Background Screening Association (4); Better Business Bureau (5); Federal Trade Commission (6).
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
