Resume Fraud – What is it and how to spot it

By Jamison Barry

Resume fraud, or application fraud, is the act of intentionally providing false information in your resume for the purpose of persuading an employer that you’re the one for the job. This is not only unethical, but in some cases, it can be dangerous depending on what industry it occurs in, especially if someone underqualified gains the role over someone with the right certifications.

In Australia, omitting a lie in your CV is not a criminal offence, but there are cases where being deceitful to gain a job is considered criminal fraud. For instance, presenting false documents regarding a university or other certified qualification is considered fraud, and there are laws about impersonating doctors and police officers for example.

So, what are recruiters looking for when checking for resume fraud?

1. Unverified Qualifications.

In this day and age, students are issued with a Testamur and a Transcript through a verification body, such as the Australian Qualifications Framework. If you suspect a qualification to be disreputable, you can request to see a copy of their Transcript and Testamur and double-check it.

2. Unverified Businesses.

If you can’t verify the company through a few searches and emails, beware. Start-up businesses may have registered business names, in which case you can search ABN registration numbers to check small businesses or companies with limited exposure.

3. Referees.

The only exception to this may exist within a family owned business. When checking referees, try contacting the business first before calling any mobile numbers of suspected referees. This way, you can ensure whether or not that referee exists within the business.

4. LinkedIn.

Again, in today’s day and age, LinkedIn is vital for the job market. If you can’t find someone on LinkedIn, this doesn’t necessarily mean their resume is fake, but it does limit their credibility. Job seekers, do yourself a favour: get on LinkedIn!

5. A Jack of All Trades.

But a master of none, as the saying goes. If you come across a CV that has career experience in a number of different industries and at various levels of seniority – either that job seeker is quite eccentric, or you’re dealing with some level of fraud.

At Executive Agents we pride ourselves in being able to present you as the best candidate you can possibly be.

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