Whether you’re hiring a new employee, reviewing potential tenants for your rental property or determining whether a candidate is eligible for a loan, verifying their employment is one of the most critical steps to ensuring they’re trustworthy. However, in our digital age, fake employment verification is rising. In a matter of minutes, someone can create a fake pay stub or falsify their resume to increase their chance of getting approved for a loan, credit card or job.
Knowing how to spot fake pay stubs and employment verification is essential to ensure you’re working with a trustworthy person. In this guide, we’ll walk through employment verification fraud so you know how to identify it.
Defending Against Fake Employment Verification: The Short Version
Whether you’re a landlord, lender or employer, knowing how to spot a fake W-2 for employment verification is crucial. Fake employee verification is a form of fraud that involves an individual falsifying personal information to obtain a job, loan, lease or credit card. There is a rise of free fake pay stubs and employment verification, with fake companies or strong graphic design skills making it easy to falsify information. From electronic signature services to employment verification solutions like Experian Verify™, there are several ways to combat fake pay stubs and employment verification.
What Is Fake Employment Verification?
Fake employment verification is fraud involving someone falsifying personal information or providing incorrect information on a job, loan, credit card or lease application. Fake employment verification for an apartment, loan, job or credit card can pose significant financial risks for companies, as these applicants might not have the economic power they’re pretending to have. This can result in loan defaults and possible evictions, which can be expensive.
To combat false employment verification for loans, apartments and similar scenarios, companies should invest in comprehensive employment verification services, which can be used to spot discrepancies in applications and employment history to ensure all information is correct.
Why Do People Fake Employment Verification?
There are several reasons why people may partake in employment verification fraud. Some of the top reasons for fake employment verification include:
- Increase earnings: One of the top reasons a person might conduct employment verification fraud is inflating their earnings. This typically occurs in cases where an applicant is applying for a loan, credit card or apartment that requires them to have proof of income that shows they can afford the financial transaction.
- Improve recruiting: Another common reason for fake employment verification is for recruiting purposes. When a job candidate is applying for a job, they may submit false information regarding their job title, years of experience or company to make them stand out among the competition.
- Boost reputation: A person may also conduct employment verification fraud to boost their reputation if they’ve been fired from a job or evicted from an apartment.
Common Methods Used for Fake Employment Verification
There are several ways someone can commit employment verification fraud. When producing fake pay stubs and employment verification, an employee or loan, credit card or lease applicant can find websites online that can create fake pay stubs that are believable. And, if a person has adequate graphic design skills, they might be able to create a fake pay stub to submit with a job, lease or loan application.
Additionally, numerous fake companies exist that employees can list on their resume or application as their former or current place of employment. These fictitious businesses can also be believable, having their websites and appearing in online directories.
Lastly, some companies can provide false employment verification services that can falsify an applicant’s job title, employment history, pay rate and more. A strong employment verification process can help companies spot discrepancies and false information that can result in hiring or approving an untrustworthy candidate.
Consequences
You can be subject to a wide range of consequences if you partake in employment verification fraud. Consequences include legal action, a tarnished reputation, losing your job, and hurting yourself or someone else. Other consequences include identity and data theft, which we’ll explore in more detail.
Identity Theft
Fake employment verification can result in identity theft. In some cases, a job, loan, apartment or credit card applicant may steal the identity of someone else to get approved. Identity theft can cause a lot of damage to the victim and suspect. The victim can have money stolen, personal information leaked and restricted access to their email or other accounts. On the other hand, suspects can face severe legal penalties, fees, jail time and a damaged reputation, making it challenging to get approved for a future loan, credit card or job.
Data Theft
If you’re an employer and hire an employee who partakes in employment verification fraud, they can gain access to sensitive information related to your business, including client and employee information, finances and more.
Ways to Prevent Fraud in Employment Verification
Knowing how to prevent employment verification fraud is essential if you’re an employer, loan provider or landlord. Some tips for preventing fraud in employment verification include:
- Use electronic signature services: Employers can request a candidate use an e-signature when applying and then verify that e-signature when being interviewed.
- Working with an employer services provider: Employer services providers can offer tools to help you verify income and employment information.
- Scan IDs: An ID, whether a driver’s license or passport, can be a great way to verify someone’s identity. Request the candidate to provide an ID during an interview or meeting for loan or apartment approval.
- Assign project assessments: If you’re hiring an employee, one part of the interview process should be to assign a project assessment that requires the candidate to perform a specific set of skills applicable to the job to ensure they fit the requirements of the role.
These are some methods you can use to help prevent fraud in employment verification. There is also a wide range of employment verification tools you can use to confirm the identity and information of a person.
Working With a Good, Reputable Employer Services Vendor is Crucial
One of the best ways to prevent false employment verification is by working with an employer services provider like Experian Employer Services. At Experian, we provide a suite of verification services to ensure the information provided to you is accurate. From employment income verification services that provide greater visibility into someone’s financial stability to employment verification services, you can have peace of mind knowing you’re remaining compliant while ensuring you’re gaining access to accurate information.
Digital Tools and Technologies for Combating Employment Verification Fraud
Several digital tools can help you combat employment verification fraud, including:
- I-9 management solutions
- E-signatures
- Background check services
- Address verification services
- Employment verification services
How to Handle and Report Fake Employment Verification Cases
If you come across a fake employment verification case, there are a few steps you can take. The first step is to talk with the employee, tenant or loan applicant and explain that you are having trouble verifying certain information. You can ask for additional income or employment information. Sometimes, there might be an error or miscommunication.
If you come across a fake employment verification case, you may want to consider legal counsel to ensure you remain compliant and handle the case correctly. In the event of a fake employment verification case, it can be reported to local authorities. However, to avoid this, it’s always best to be proactive by investing in employer services that can help prevent fake employment verification.
Fake Employment Verification FAQs
How do employers detect fake employment verifications?
There are several actions employers can take to detect fake employment verifications, such as contacting previous employers, employing the help of verification services, cross-referencing information, checking references and spotting red flags like gaps in employment history or inconsistencies in job titles. Browse our Employment Verification Service page to see how our services can help.
Are there legal consequences for submitting fake employment verification?
Yes, there are various legal consequences an individual can face for submitting fake employment verification for a loan, job or lease, such as fines or imprisonment.
What other risks are there to submitting fake employment verification?
Aside from legal consequences like fines and imprisonment for submitting fake employment verification for an apartment, loan or job, there are other potential risks, such as damage to your reputation, loss of trust, blacklisting, career implications and the potential for professional licensing issues.
How can businesses ensure the legitimacy of third-party verification services?
If you’re considering working with a third-party employment verification provider, there are steps you can take to ensure legitimacy. Research and due diligence can help you assess a company’s reputation, credentials and track records, while asking for references and reviewing contracts and agreements can help validate legitimacy. Visit our Contact Us page to learn more about our compliance and security measures, track record and more.
Conclusion
Fake employment verification can be costly and cause issues within your organization if it isn’t stopped. With this guide on employment verification fraud, you’ll be able to better identify false employment verification to stop it in its tracks. At Experian Employer Services, our employment history verification can help ensure you create a solid and trustworthy team. Contact us today to learn more about our workforce management solutions.