The FCRA is the abbreviated name for the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The FCRA is a U.S. federal law that was originally passed in 1970. It is a law that is enforced by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. This law is designed to protect the personal and confidential information of individuals. It is also in place to monitor the collection and the use of any personal information of consumers gathered by the various agencies that collect and store this content.

These reports may include everything from social security numbers, birth dates, past and present addresses, driving history and other motor vehicle records, and criminal background information. These types of personal records are gathered by many different reporting agencies for a variety of reasons.

Some of the requirements for compliance include requesting permission to access personal and detailed information. You must also notify the individual if any action is going to be taken as a result of the findings in the gathered report.

There are many background check service providers working within the FCRA guidelines to help in successfully and fairly investigate through proper and efficient screening. This means, that in order to make a decision, the research that a Background Check service provides falls within the federal regulations.

In our current times, the very real and detrimental crime of identity theft is happening at alarming rates around the country to countless unsuspecting individuals. In many instances it goes undetected by the consumer until complications suddenly arise. This is one of the many reasons protecting our personal information is priority for us as individuals, as well as for the FCRA.

The FCRA continues to aide in the prevention and early detection of such crimes against the consumer.