Job Application Fraud: How Verification Checks Protect Employers and Candidates

Two-thirds of large companies are reporting a rise in job application fraud. As artificial intelligence speeds up the rate of application and false claims rise, Laura Cruickshank of Core-Asset Verify explains how companies can defend themselves with robust and fair verification systems.

How are candidates faking their qualifications?

Misrepresentation in CVs and covering letters can vary from small embellishments to deliberate false claims, but recent surveys have shown a rising trend of the latter: jobseekers are increasingly lying in their applications to get ahead of the crowd. Falsely claiming a degree, exaggerating job titles or role responsibilities, inflating grades and manipulating employment dates are all techniques being used to get a CV to the top of the pile. 

In a recent Fraud Behaviours Survey by CIFAS, 18% of people in the UK admitted to lying in a job application in the last 12 months, or knew someone who had done so. 

Why are candidates doing this?

In a competitive job market, AI tools are increasingly being used by candidates to speed up the creation of personalised covering letters and bespoke CVs. A study by Software Finder found that nearly 1 in 6 people said they received more interview callbacks when using AI than they did without it. 77% said that using AI tools boosted their confidence during the job search.

Some false claims in applications will be the result of candidates failing to check what the AI has written for them, rather than being intentionally misleading. But 14% of those surveyed by CIFAS felt it was ‘reasonable’ to claim that they had achieved a 2:1 degree in order to secure a job, when they had actually failed their final year of university. So, the general acceptance of fraudulence is also a significant aspect of the figures. 

Is the trend rising?

Whether through malice or ignorance, job application fraud is growing, and a report this year by Hedd, part of Jisc, found that two-thirds of large companies have seen it rise.

As AI tools develop and become harder to detect, their adoption will continue, and candidates will use them more in applications. 

Meanwhile, most employers are not prepared for, or adapting to, the new challenges. Verification of credentials is worst amongst small companies (26% do not check qualifications at all), but only 52% of large businesses check all academic credentials. 

What can employers do to protect themselves?

Vetting processes need to keep pace with the change, and Hedd has warned that many businesses may not realise that their current verification processes are insufficient. Candidate-provided certification could be fake, so the only way to be certain of a claim is to check directly with the awarding institution through a verification service or screening agency. 

Direct verification of degrees and professional qualification protects companies from hiring unqualified candidates, mitigates legal and reputational risks, and upholds the integrity of the hiring process.

It's also essential that employers have confidence that their background checks are fair, preventing any potential discrimination claims, and ensuring that the best candidates are considered and never wrongly ruled out. 

Detailed checks that recognise the human

There is a risk with verification checks that automation might exclude legitimate candidates for unfair reasons, so companies must be cautious that in protecting themselves from fraudulent applications, they don’t rule out good applicants by mistake.

Core-Asset Verify provides detailed checks, without losing the human analysis and insight that ensures fair and accurate outcomes.

We combine the efficiency and thoroughness of automated checking with the personal approach of never forgetting the individual concerned, and we recognise the nuance of many situations. 

Overseeing the Verify division, I believe in keeping the human element at the centre of everything we do. As technology advances, many vetting companies rely almost entirely on automation to speed up rigorous background checks. But an overreliance on these tools can introduce bias and miss important details.

Systems that are built to catch fraudulent claims can provide false positives, flagging a candidate for a lie that will wrongly prevent their progress in an application. We have seen systems alert us to a ‘fraudulent’ job title claim that was really just an abbreviation of ‘Senior’ to ‘Snr.’ 

A social media post made by a candidate of ours ten years ago was flagged with little explanation. Without human judgement overseeing the process, these kinds of issue would be the end of an application.

At Verify we also take the time to identify the context behind employment gaps. AI can make gaps in CVs look intentional or insignificant, but we are able to uncover the true reasons, whether it’s dismissal, redundancy, or long-term illness, all of which must be handled sensitively and fairly under employment law. Establishing the reason directly with the candidate and, where necessary, former employers, Core-Asset Verify ensures decisions are made based on facts, rather than assumptions.

Good vetting protects a business from risk but also ensures fair hiring by remembering the individual who is applying. Working with a trusted vetting team makes a big difference. At Core-Asset Verify we ensure clients are future-proofed by evolving with regulations and market trends, while valuing their applicants throughout the process.

With transparent processes and a human-centred approach, we help employers hire with confidence and candidates progress with fairness.