Fake job references add new challenges to the hiring process

As if the challenges of finding and hiring the right person for the job aren’t great enough, there is a new complication to the task of checking a prospective employee’s references. A burgeoning online industry now provides job seekers with fake work histories and references. Web sites such as fakeresume.com and careerexcuse.com provide letters of reference and pose as a previous employer, giving glowing references when a potential employer calls—all for a price.

Getting a clear picture of a candidate’s work history is one well-known challenge of doing a thorough reference check. Every hiring manager and recruiter expects the personal references provided by a job candidate to have only good things to say; hyperconscious of making a good impression, candidates are not likely to provide names that might lead to a less-than-stellar review. Because of this natural bias, work history verification usually goes beyond such friendly references, to include former supervisors and other contacts that the candidate doesn’t list as references. Now that hiring managers have to deal with fake job reference businesses, they’ll have to be even more diligent to find fraudulent references as they check prospective hires out.

When a hiring manager suspects fraud, some useful tools he or she can employ include creativity, awareness of inconsistencies, and a dose of skepticism. Some techniques for identifying fake references include the following:

• Call directory assistance for the phone number of the former employer rather than relying on the number provided by the candidate.
• Do an Internet search for the business if it is unknown to you. Cross match addresses and phone numbers given by the job applicant with the information you find online.
• Call the human resources or payroll department of the former employer to verify that the job candidate worked there, the dates of employment, and any other job-related information that can be obtained.
• Do a reverse Internet search of the phone numbers provided to identify the owner of a phone number.
• Use the same kinds of verification techniques when calling references at home.

Of course, there can be legitimate reasons for inconsistencies in information. For example, a variance in phone numbers may be the difference between the main number and a direct line for the reference. When there are discrepancies, ask the candidate about them. His or her response may help to sort fact from fiction. What is most important is to check references diligently to find and address inconsistencies.

Unfortunately, HR managers can’t let their guards down once an employee is hired. In addition to selling fake work references online, these Web businesses and others (AlibiHQ) also offer fraudulent doctor’s notes and other documents.