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I started a new job that requires a background check for access to non-sensitive areas. The form wants to go back five years.

Should I let my friends know that they may be contacted for my background check?

Carcigenicate
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Jeff Christman
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5 Answers5

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You should definitely let your friends know, less out of courtesy, rather to prepare them so that they know it is a legitimate request that you have initiated.

If someone called me out of the blue claiming to be conducting a background check on my friend and he hadn't forewarned me, I'd assume it was a social engineering attack, identity theft, or some such thing, and promptly hang up on them.

As with any reference, you might want to ask them beforehand, as a courtesy, to ensure they're willing. For personal reasons in their background they may not to want to be contacted, which could also result in a panicked hang-up.

As Neuromancer pointed out in a comment on the original post, this assumes you know, at least to a high likelihood, who will be contacted: you can either guess confidently or you have provided a limited set of names.

If not, this is kind of moot: I would have a hard time identifying with any confidence even a large number of the people I've interfaced with over the last 5 years...

msanford
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  • You can ask them if you can use them as a reference. That would hit two birds with one stone: you have permission and they know they may get contacted in the near future. – Dan May 08 '18 at 18:37
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    Dan: yes, but some may decline to be references, if you ask. And then you'd need to say, well, it's not really a reference, it's a background check, and I can't ask them not to contact you. So I think it'd be better up front to call it what it is. – CCTO May 08 '18 at 19:11
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    Usually at least from police / military background checks I was usually contacted by my friends beforehand that I may be contacted as they needed to provide a list of references. I can't really imagine how they would know who could be a trusted reference if you don't provide a list. – idkfa May 08 '18 at 20:27
  • @idkfa At least for US federal top-secret security clearance, the process is that you provide a list (ideally having at least one person who can more-or-less vouch for you having lived and/or worked in each place you claim to have done so), and then they ask each of those people for a mutual contact, and repeat. Legally, they have to go at least three deep, but are allowed to go deeper if they feel it’s warranted. They also seek out contacts independently where possible (people living where you used to, people working or studying where you used to, etc.). – KRyan May 09 '18 at 01:41
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    Also, contact them prior so that they can prepare the right answers (i.e. the ones you want them to give). "Is he a good guy? Holy cow yes. Let me tell you about the time he helped a senior citizen cross the road to find a lost kitten..." – Todd Walton May 09 '18 at 13:58
  • As someone who was approached as part of a security check for someone who used to live 3 doors down from me, you definitely don't know who will be asked if it's for security. – Ben Hocking May 09 '18 at 15:54
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    @ToddWalton For the purposes of a security background check (or at least for a TS/SCI clearance which is not what the OP is talking about), "coaching" the contacts is probably not worth the effort and is potentially harmful. My impression is that they don't really care if you were a jerk, they just want to know if you 1) lied to them, 2) have potentially suspicious foreign contacts, and 3) if you are susceptible to coercion primarily through bribery, i.e. due to having financial difficulties. While giving them a heads up is definitely worthwhile, I would only tell them to tell the truth. – Derek Elkins left SE May 09 '18 at 19:51
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    It's also a good idea to contact your references to be sure the contact info you have for them is up to date. – candied_orange May 09 '18 at 20:01
  • @DerekElkins, good point, in that case. I've had a (not top) secret clearance, and I believe all they asked was "Do you know this guy? What's your relationship? Has he been out of the country recently?" Etc. Just the facts. – Todd Walton May 11 '18 at 13:55
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Yes so they are prepared and you don't scare them. I was going for a security clearance and a federal officer interviewed several of my neighbors at their house. They thought I was being investigated for a federal crime.

My favorite question was have you ever conspired to overthrow the federal government with yes no check boxes. Below was if you selected yes, please explain. Like there is a valid explanation.

Neo
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paparazzo
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  • Exactly! That's why I edited and added the last paragraph. Those contacted may have their own personal reasons that make them just uncomfortable talking to people this way. Freaking them out is not going to help OP's case -- looks suspicious. – msanford May 08 '18 at 18:30
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    Technically, you were being investigated for federal crimes... just among other things without assumption of any of them being true. =) – Southpaw Hare May 08 '18 at 20:45
  • @SouthpawHare That is sooooooooo far off base. A misdemeanor drug charge would have eliminated me. A bankruptcy would have eliminated me. – paparazzo May 08 '18 at 21:01
  • I have has several TS-SCI clearances and you are right about people freaking out. It seems investigators are not always clear about why they are investigating. Annoying! – closetnoc May 08 '18 at 21:11
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    @closetnoc But it is an investigation. To say why is giving out personal information. It could be a job that itself is classified. – paparazzo May 08 '18 at 21:14
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    They are supposed to say it is for a security clearance as a function of a job. Not saying so leaves all kinds of imagination to stir. Nothing more needs to be said. I had neighbors and family approach me concerned. Completely unnecessary. Fortunately, some became used to it. In the end, I got tired of the constant investigations, forms, polygraphs, and so on. Each task phase, over and over again. – closetnoc May 08 '18 at 21:51
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    "Have you ever conspired to overthrow the federal government? If yes, please explain." "Yes. My old friend Billy Smith and I got drunk in the dorms one night and he started telling me a sob story of how the local dog-catcher euthanized his pet Boa without warning and, well, one thing led to another... Anyway, we woke up the next morning with splitting headaches in a tent on the outskirts of D.C. with an entire Toys 'R Us shelf's worth of Super Soakers wearing Crockodile Dundee costumes. After that we drove home and agreed never to speak of it again." – jmbpiano May 08 '18 at 22:30
  • @jmbpiano Yes, go on... – Mr Me May 09 '18 at 12:41
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    I think they must immediately decide not to hire anyone who answered "no" to this question as being dishonest or most boring person ever. If you never thought that being sole ruler of universe is cool you have no life. – talex May 10 '18 at 10:09
  • No, don't. Instead talk to them how blowing up buildings would pay back the government, take up a hobby (building a nuke in the basement out of empty beer cans and toilet paper) and make other things like that. After all, they really should have something to say to the people asking them. – TomTom May 10 '18 at 12:11
  • I can think of several minority groups that would have valid explanations at one time or another for plotting to overthrow the Federal Government. A blanket statement that a valid reason is not possible is ahistorical. – Eric Hauenstein May 10 '18 at 12:49
  • @EricHauenstein I bet they still don't get the clearance. – paparazzo May 10 '18 at 12:58
  • @paparazzo No argument there. In fact they may end up with additional explanations. – Eric Hauenstein May 10 '18 at 13:16
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    I think einstein was asked that when immigrating and answered he does not know. As he was not in the USA, he was not aware whether or not he wants to overthrow the government. IIRC state department had to intervene to get him in ;) – TomTom May 10 '18 at 17:07
  • @TomTom Not an answer to that question. – paparazzo May 10 '18 at 17:22
  • Ah, that is why it is a comment and not an answer to start with? Oh, sorry, you overlooked the obvious. – TomTom May 10 '18 at 17:29
  • @TomTom Sorry you don't understand the question. – paparazzo May 10 '18 at 17:31
  • @jmbpiano - That's likely roughly how the Green Corn Rebellion went. – T.E.D. May 10 '18 at 17:59
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As someone who has multiple friends working in Defense Contracting and has been contacted regarding their background checks, yes you should let them know. In my case, when my friends had told me prior, it gave me time to gather any notes or other details that the background inspector would want to know. These include things like where/when we first met or what classes we had together, stories that support how trust-worthy they are, etc. These are things that I wouldn't immediately remember off the top of my head while talking with the inspector on the phone out of the blue.

The Unknown Dev
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The forms for the process I went through are very thorough: Federal Investigation Forms, so I'll use that as an example. (The SF 86 is [7.61 MB], and it's the one that requires listing all your family, friends, employers, neighbors, etc.)

As someone who has gone through the Federal Investigation process, I would highly recommend telling all potential contacts ahead of time. This allows them to gather the necessary information ahead of time. For example: if someone is to corroborate the date range you worked for them, they can find your tax file(s).

They (the FBI) sent forms in the mail to the people I put down, so if they weren't prepared they might have thought it to be spam or junk mail. Depending on the investigation, that might have meant that an FBI agent has to give them a call or visit if they don't respond.

mbomb007
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No, not unless you want to. I went through this process a while back for the Dept. of the Navy where I worked as a civilian engineer.

The questions they ask are really basic and unlikely to cause any confusion with the person answering the question. They dont need to be prepared ahead of time.

For questions like "did they live here", "how did you meet them", dont make your friends or family waste time preparing. Overcoaching will do more harm than good. If they are caught on the spot about basic questions, theyll give basic answers.

In short, if you feel like talking to them, do it. Just dont stress, them or you.

Jamie Clinton
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    It's not a question of confusion. If I get a call from someone doing a background check, there is no way in hell I am confirming any iota of information about my friend unless I've received prior notice. This is just good security. For all I know, the person calling could be a scammer trying to impersonate my friend and any information I give that person could help that person open credit cards, set up accounts on his behalf, or simply help that person guess an answer to one of his security questions. – Stephan Branczyk May 10 '18 at 08:18
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    The OP asks about telling them "you may be contacted", not about "coaching" them. – AndyT May 10 '18 at 09:58
  • Stephan you are answering on your own behalf though. How many average folks would consider that? Telling them or not telling them you have a background check in progress would not stop a social engineering attack on them. At worst it delays the background check slightly. – Jamie Clinton May 11 '18 at 17:10
  • There is a massive difference between delaying a bg check and exposing a person to a social engineering attack. My answer possibly does the former. It does expose anyone to any security risk. – Jamie Clinton May 11 '18 at 17:22