Startup shut down years ago, no trace left — how to handle background check (HireRight)?
Hi everyone,
I’m currently in the background verification stage with a US-based company, and I’ve run into a situation that’s making me a bit anxious.
Around ~5 years ago, I worked at a small startup in India. The company has completely shut down since then — no website, no LinkedIn page, and none of my old colleagues or founders are reachable anymore.
At that time, things were pretty informal:
- I didn’t receive structured payslips
- I was paid monthly via bank transfers
- I don’t have PF/official HR documentation
What I do have:
- Bank statements showing regular salary credits from the company
- Some old emails and project-related communication
Now HireRight is handling my background check, and I’m worried this might cause issues since there’s no official way to verify the company anymore.
I had a thought (not sure if it’s a bad idea):
Would it make sense to recreate a basic website/email for that startup just to establish some presence for verification, and do that myself? Or would that backfire?
I obviously don’t want to do anything unethical or risky, but I’m unsure how strict/verifiable these checks are when companies shut down completely.
My questions:
- Has anyone gone through a similar situation with a defunct startup?
- What kind of proof worked for you in absence of formal documents?
- How does HireRight typically handle cases where employers no longer exist?
- Is there anything else I should prepare proactively to avoid failing verification?
Would really appreciate any advice or experiences — feeling a bit stuck here.
Thanks in advance 🙏