In January 2015, CoryGroshek sent a 2,300-word missive to representatives for Time Warner Cable, threatening to sue for violations of a consumer-protection law called the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The message relayed Groshek’s confidence that he could win a huge verdict at trial — “think upwards of $5-10 million,” he wrote — unless the company paid him a six-figure settlement to go away. Within a recent 18-month stretch, Groshek applied to 562 jobs, including one at Time Warner Cable. But it doesn’t appear he had any intention of keeping a job long-term. Instead, his aim seems to be to catch companies violating the law during the hiring process, so he can threaten a class-action lawsuit and demand a settlement. Documents show Groshek has used the tactic to extract at least $230,000 in legal settlements from businesses across the country and that he has threatened to sue at least 46 companies.

Read more