(e) The term “investigative consumer report” means a consumer report or portion thereof in which information on a consumer's character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living is obtained through personal interviews with neighbors, friends, or associates of the consumer reported on or with ...
Reports including personal knowledge or firsthand interaction, reports made among persons under common control, and reports other than credit (including skip tracing, law enforcement, dating, and laboratory reports) are not consumer reports.
Final answer: Investigative consumer reports uniquely provide insights into a customer's character and reputation, unlike traditional consumer reports that focus mainly on financial data. They gather information through detailed interviews, record checks, and thorough fact verification.
The user must disclose to the consumer that an investigative consumer report may be obtained. This must be done in a written disclosure that is mailed, or otherwise delivered, to the consumer at some time before or not later than three days after the date on which the report was first requested.
In consumer protection investigations, governmental agencies such as state Attorneys General and the Federal Trade Commission investigate business practices to identify civil or criminal violations of consumer protection laws.
These obligations include giving written notice that you may request or have requested an investigative consumer report, and giving a statement that the person has a right to request additional disclosures and a summary of the scope and substance of the report. (See 15 U.S.C.
Employment background checks also are known as consumer reports. They can include information from a variety of sources, including credit reports and criminal records.
A consumer reporting agency must also include a summary of consumer rights with the disclosure to the consumer. This ensures the consumer is informed about their rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Details such as the firm's name and address, and privacy policies are also typically included.
The FTC does clarify that obtaining information from a former employer beyond “fact-checking” could constitute an interview and be considered an Investigative Consumer Report. This could include, but is not limited to, asking a candidate's former employer about: Discipline actions against the candidate.