Resume Fraud – It’s a Criminal Offence

June 21, 2019

In simple term resume, fraud means discrepancies in the resume of a job seeking candidate, where the information is given are forged purposely with the sole aim of achieving the said job. It is the manipulation of data or can be a complete falsification of the information. Cases of Resume fraud has been reported not only in the junior and middle level but also in the senior levels as well. The corporates these days are taking the help of background check companies to avert the resume fraud that is going on. Always remember, resume falsification is a legal HR issue and can draw adequate punishment.

Let us have a look at some of the most common discrepancies that are usually found in the CVs.

1)    Work Experience and Tenure Related

It has been often found that people lie about the work experience and the tenure that they have served. This is an essential part of resume fraud. From a few months to years, is the time period that people had faked in their resume and later regretted when the information had seen the light of the day. 11% of total resume falsification cases fall under this category.

2)    Educational qualifications related

Resume falsification by fabricating certificates is nothing new. Sometimes people get away with it, but many other times, they pay the price when asked to perform under a high-pressure environment. They end up losing their job. Nearly 52% of resume fraud cases have been found to be educational qualifications related.

3)    Forgery of Identification Documents

Creating a false identity has also worked well, and it is one of the most serious crimes punishable by law.

4)    Hiding criminal History

Hiding a criminal history is probably the most stringent act of duplicity committed, and it is rarely revealed in background searches.

Consequences of Fraudulent Resumes

1. Ground for Termination

Termination is the most apparent result of omissions and lies in the resume. Getting fired due to resume falsification can create a perpetual cycle. The applicant must either report the truth or risk the same result the next time when he does the same thing again. The employers are within their rights to fire such fake candidates.

2. Loss of professional license

Many professions such as lawyers, nurses, and doctors have a board that oversees the administration of licenses to individuals. If an individual is involved in a job scam, their licenses may be revoked or suspended.

3. Loss of Legal Claims

Do always remember that faking a resume is a heinous crime. A severe potential drawback to lying on an application is that a person can lose his or her right to sue the employer if there are any legal claims against the employer, such as termination based on social discrimination. The employers can use the evidence that they learned about a former employee in defense of any legal claim. The employer needs to prove that the lies on the application were directly linked to the employment position and would have been sufficient for it not to have hired the applicant.

4. Criminal Charges

Though the chances of someone charged with a crime for lying on a job application is slim in India; however, there are certain circumstances when this can lead to criminal responsibility. Especially in cases of Military service, this can attract court-martial.

5. Civil liability

Resume Falsification may also potentially cause an applicant to be liable for civil damages if his or her lies result in losses. If an architect lies about his qualification may be liable if a ceiling collapsed and a worker is injured or even if a customer is hurt from his bad work.

So, we see the terrible implications of fraudulent resumes, and everyone should desist from taking a shortcut which does not serve them at the end of the day.

How to Avoid Resume Frauds

The best strategy is to outsource Recruitment to a trusted Third Party Recruitment Outsourcing Company

Experienced third-party vendors are savvy enough to understand the tricks which candidates typically use to fleece unsuspecting recruiters.

Complete employee screening is very crucial in recruitment. Third-party Recruitment Company can save you from the terrible bad hires.

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