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If you are a fan of US drama ER, you may think twice about hiring someone who has tenure at the County General Hospital in Chicago. Unfortunately, ER wasn’t on the viewing list for the HR Team of a British hospital who employed a 35 year old fraudster with a long list of falsified experience gained across the globe, including the fictitious CGH in Chicago.

Few employers still take a CV at face value however, as employers put in place more controls, scams have become more sophisticated. Ambitious fraudsters can now, for a minimal fee, create a completely fabricated CV through fake institutions (degree mills) and employers – with all qualifications and experience verifiable.

Worldwide, close to 30% of senior executives have presented qualifications they don’t hold .Some take the risk of being unable to provide evidence of their qualification, whilst others attempt to cover their tracks with a degree mill. Included in the ‘enrolment fees’ are genuine-looking qualification certificates and even a phone number that a potential employer can call to verify the details. And yes, degree mills do operate in Australia. An example is The West Coast Institute of Management and Technology in Perth.

There are also organisations, such as Career Excuse, that exist solely to offer ‘personalised referencing services’ (i.e. employment alibis). They are available globally to anyone willing to pay the subscription fee. Included in this fee is your choice of career history. You select your job title, responsibilities, dates and salary and they provide a company website, street address and phone number which can be called by your prospective employer to verify the details, and even provide a glowing reference.

What does this mean to Employers? If a fraudster has covered their tracks and done their research, even the most diligent recruiter could fall victim to these scams – with significant direct and indirect financial and reputational consequences.

Of course, skills assessments, psychometric testing and intensive interviewing will weed out some of these dishonest individuals. For best practice, a specialist global background screening provider will be able to alert you if any claimed experience or qualifications were gained through a subscription fee instead of integrity and hard work.