Job applicants urged to be completely honest

Analysis of frauds recorded on the CIFAS Staff Fraud Database during the first half of 2012, compared with 2011, revealed a notable increase in those recorded for employment applications containing serious material falsehoods (up by 160% from the first half of 2011).

‘Material falsehoods’ are those whose impact is far greater than a simple untruth: where the nature of the falsehood had a definite impact on the application (e.g. an applicant saying a previous position had ended for career development reasons when the applicant had actually been fired).

As economic and employment problems persist for many, increases in fraud of this kind are unsurprising. The increase underlines, however, the importance of proper vetting procedures and checks.

CIFAS advises that establishing that an applicant is who he or she claims to be (in terms of identity, professional qualifications and employment history) is essential in ensuring that a position is taken by a suitable candidate, as opposed to one more likely to cause further (deliberate or unwitting) damage.