It happens more often than you may know. It happens while you are at work, at home, and even while you are sleeping. You may think you have a clean credit record, a smudge-free background, and no criminal record. Yet you may be one of the many thousands who could benefit from a background check.
An acquaintance, Derick, once applied for a loan, only to find out that he had been blacklisted some years prior. Back in 2012 Eliza Marthinus Lotz laid a claim against the minister of police for R4m after discovering he had a criminal record without ever having been charged or convicted. There’s much to be said about clerical errors.
The presence of a bad credit record or even an ‘accidental’ criminal record, or any other type of clerical inaccuracy in national or international systems can affect future prospects. For the past 20 years Lotz struggled to find work. It was only more recently, through a personnel agency, that he discovered the presence of a criminal record, which he names as the reason for his inability to gain employment over a period of two decades.
Stories of individuals who’ve cleared their debts only to discover that they still had bad credit records a year or even five years down the line are common too. Yet evidence of clerical negligence is often only picked up at important moments in life, like when emigration is on the cards, or when deciding to invest in a family home.
So what can you do?
Background checks aren’t limited to personnel and law enforcement agencies, or employers alone. Individuals may request background information at any time, too, which will enable them to take timely action should lurking clerical inaccuracies be discovered. Some background checks you can do yourself include:
- Criminal record check (South Africa & international)
- Credit checks
- Driver’s licence and PDP verification
- Identity verification
- Death certificate verification
- Fraud listing verification
- Financial services screening
- Character reference verification
- CV verification
- Employment reference verification
- Residency verification
The majority of these checks are inexpensive, and have an average turnaround time of 48 hours.
The convenience of self-checking has only in recent years become mainstream. Had it been available 20 years back, things might have been different for some.
“Due to someone else’s negligence, I now have a backlog in life. The knowledge that I had ‘a criminal record’ broke down my self-esteem. It also caused me not to want to go for interviews, as I knew I would not get the job.” Lotz told Pretoria News.
10 Responses
Mr Mitchell – you should mail us – info@csinvestigate.co.za to make an appointment to submit your fingerprints to the SAPS for a criminal record check. We will know the way forward after receiving the results
Yes, it is always a better decision to do background check of your own. Sometimes people can’t know or remember whether their misdemeanors are recorded or kept. Sometimes these things are taken into account and sometimes not. Most of the employers today conducting a background check on the prospective employees. So it would be the best thing to do self-background hence you can know your mistakes well and try to repair them. Also a big thanks to @Amelia for this info.
Good Day,
I went for an interview yesterday and was charged R150.00 to do a criminal record check.
I was told that they would contact me yesterday as an agency does their checks for them .
No fingerprints were taken , only a copy of my ID and drivers licence.
Is this right and can it be done
There might be many explanations for this,maybe a re-submission or only part of the process. I cannot really comment as i do not have all the facts.
Contact our office info@csinvestigate.co.za or 0861274911 – we will be able to do a detailed check for you
Message:where can i check my criminal background?
make an appointment with my office: 0861274911 they will assist you
Hi mrs griesel I had a court case against me last year I stabedd a gal when she and her gang assaulted me and also stabbed me I first opened a case and my wounds were bad sp both of us had cases against each other our fingerprints were both taken but we never spoke in the court only given dates.2 months after the incident the court said that they have withdrawn the case .Do u think that this will on my fingerprints as I was not found guilty. And will Pretoria head office of SAPS have acsess to this case
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally,
it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point.
You obviously know what youre talking about,
magnificent submit, very informative. I wonder why the opposite specialists of this sector do not understand this. You must proceed your writing. I’m confident, you have a great readers’ base already!