Single mom says six-figure dream job was ‘ripped away’ over tiny background check error: ‘I just cried and screamed.’ How to protect yourself

Tucker’s employment was put on hold after a background check conducted by third-party screening firm HireRight flagged discrepancies in her work history during onboarding through MBO Partners. The report cited “potential conflicts” tied to past contract roles and freelance consulting work that she later turned into her own business.

“Before I could even begin, it was just ripped away,” Tucker told Atlanta News First Investigates. “I just cried and screamed. This is not something I did wrong. It’s literally a small problem and that was a mountain standing between myself and a job that would provide a livelihood for me and my kids.”

How a minor issue became a costly error

Believing the job offer was finalized, Tucker had already found a new home to rent with help from friends and family. Her start date at what was supposed to be her 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 key error: according to notes in HireRight’s system, a company that Tucker was contracted with between 2017 and 2018 reported that she had never worked there. After contacting her former employer directly, Tucker learned the verification request had been submitted under the wrong last name.

“[The HR rep] said, ‘Well, the issue is, they sent the request asking for me to verify employment for Krishan Tucker, not Krishan Dawson,’” said Tucker, whose last name used to be Dawson. Tucker had reportedly disclosed this key detail on the form for her background check.

That same HR rep at Tucker’s former company reportedly emailed HireRight on December 17, 2025 to correct the mistake.

“I have just learned that the verification request for Krishan Tucker is actually Krishan Dawson. I can confirm Krishan Dawson was on assignment [here],” read a portion of the HR rep’s email to HireRight.

Although the error was later corrected, HireRight reportedly continued to flag inconsistencies with Tucker’s employment dates, which Tucker believed was the result of the name error in her background check.

Not an isolated case

While the error with her background check was beyond unfortunate, Tucker is far from alone, as consumer advocates say background check mistakes are both widespread and costly.

According to Consumer Justice, estimates put the chances of errors occurring during a background check at 50% (2), a level the National Consumer Law Center has described as “rampant.” Ariel Nelson, a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, said weak oversight allows screening errors to persist, often at the expense of consumers (3).

“If Congress, federal agencies and states don’t act to ensure that background screening companies are closely monitored and hold them accountable for their repeated mistakes due to poor policies and practices, consumers will continue to pay the price by forfeiting housing and job opportunities while employers and landlords will miss out on qualified employees and tenants,” said Nelson.

Background checks are now standard practice, with about 95% of employers using them, according to the Professional Background Screening Association (4). HireRight is one of the largest background screening firms in the U.S., serving more than 40,000 employers.

But consumer reviews and federal complaint data suggest there are persistent concerns with HireRight, as the company averages roughly 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 submitted across 29 states.

While HireRight generally responded to background check errors within required timeframes, public records do not indicate how often those responses resulted in corrections.