Lying on your CV: The Facts and The Risks

How Common is Lying on a CV in the UK?

There are various studies that examine lying on a CV in the UK. In reality, it’s extremely difficult to uncover the true extent of CV lying because studies tend to rely on respondents self-reporting their lies. Even in an anonymous study where there’s no risk of being caught, people tend to be shy about revealing behaviour that might be considered socially unacceptable.

However, the available studies can give us some impression of the UK CV lying trends. One study by a recruitment app found that one in three British jobseekers have lied on their CV, while a quarter admitted to doing it regularly (1). A similar study by CIFAS (Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System) made more conservative estimates, suggesting one in 11 people lied on their CV in the past year (2). When it comes to graduates, a UK Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD) study found that a third admitted to lying on their CV (3).

The most common CV lies are typically surrounding qualifications. CIFAS’ study was focused on those lying about degree qualifications, while of those who admitted lying in the HEDD study, 40% of these had exaggerated their qualifications, with 11% fabricating their degree completely.

Although CV lying is fairly commonplace in the UK, it’s highly unlikely to be accepted by any employer. Lying on your CV is clearly dishonest, and any employer who finds a candidate lying on their CV is likely to be immediately put off hiring them, or progressing with their application.

If you’ve lied on your CV about certain qualifications, certifications or licences, there could be significant legal problems ahead for the company.

Is it Illegal to Lie on Your CV? Understanding UK Laws

In the UK, the law is fairly clear. Lying on your CV is an example of ‘fraud by false representation’, and as such it is punishable under UK law. While the chances of actually being prosecuted are probably quite slim, you’re still definitely running the risk if you twist the facts on your CV.

Fraud Act 2006

The specific law that sets the criteria for lying on your CV to be illegal in the UK is the Fraud Act 2006. This law sets out the definition of ‘fraud’ and outlines the three main types of fraud: fraud by false representation, fraud by failing to disclose information, and fraud by abuse of position.

Fraud by false representation is the element of the law that’s relevant to lying on your CV. This crime is defined as making a false representation with the intent to make a gain for yourself, or to cause loss to another person or expose them to the risk of a loss. The law considers representations to be false if they are ‘untrue or misleading’, and the person making that representation ‘knows that it is, or might be, untrue or misleading’.

The sentences for being found guilty of fraud by false representation are serious. It can result in a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, a fine, or both.

Other UK laws relevant to lying on your CV

Lying on your CV could see you in breach of other UK laws, each of which come their own punishments:

• Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981: this law makes it an offence to make a ‘false instrument’, intending to use it as if it were the genuine. It’s possible to argue that a false CV could be an act of forgery. Punishments can include a prison sentence of up to six months, a fine, or both.
• Proceeds of Crime Act 2002: this law relates to income earned on the back of a criminal act. If you’ve gained a job because of a fraudulent CV, you could be forced to pay back part or all of your earnings from that employment. You may also be subject to various other punishments, including imprisonment.

Professional Consequences: What Happens if You Get Caught?

The consequences of lying on your CV go far beyond the potential criminal charges that could occur if you’re found guilty of fraud. Even if you’re not charged with a criminal offence, the episode might have a profound impact on your career. Some of the potential professional consequences of lying on your CV include:

• Losing a job offer if the lie is discovered during background checks: if the employer discovers your CV lies while they’re gathering references or conducting other background checks, you could be at risk of losing your job offer.
• Immediate dismissal if the lie is uncovered after hiring: if you’re already working in a role, but something comes to light that indicates you lied on your CV (for example, your inability to carry out a task that you said you could do), then you could be dismissed immediately.
• Damage to professional reputation and credibility in the industry: the professional world can be a small place, and depending on your industry, word can travel fast if you’ve done something to damage your reputation. Lying on your CV can have a ripple effect and affect your credibility in your chosen industry.
• Difficulty securing future employment if blacklisted or reported: any damage to your professional reputation is likely to have a significant negative effect on your ability to secure future employment. You may even find yourself blacklisted with certain companies and recruiters, or reported to industry organisations.

Employer Perspective: How Companies Detect CV Lies

If a company hires a candidate who’s lied on their CV, the consequences can be profound. If you’ve lied on your CV about certain qualifications, certifications or licences, there could be significant legal problems ahead for the company. Likewise, in certain industries, there could also be a major health and safety risk if you’re entrusted to use specific equipment or machinery that you’re unlicensed or unqualified to operate.

As such, employers understandably take every measure to ensure they don’t hire someone who’s lied on their CV. Some of the ways companies can detect lies on a CV include:

• Use of background checks and reference verification: your references are one of the most simple and straightforward ways to check whether you’ve lied or misled an employer with your CV. Hiring managers can use your references to fact-check your CV, while they might also run background checks such as:
• • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
  • Credit check
  • Driving licence checks
  • Right to work checks
  • Education verification
• Checking LinkedIn profiles and social media inconsistencies: It’s not unusual for employers to check your social media profiles, your LinkedIn or other sources of information online to verify your credentials. These profiles can be a useful way of identifying inconsistencies in your CV.
• AI-based hiring tools that flag discrepancies in applications: automated hiring tools such as ATS software can use AI to flag potential discrepancies and inconsistencies in a CV, which could indicate that a candidate may be lying. This can include date discrepancies, job title inflation and unrealistic skill claims.
• Legal rights of employers when dealing with dishonest applicants: if an employer discovers you’ve lied on your job application, they can withdraw their job offer, initiate disciplinary action, terminate employment or even — if the damage to the organisation has been significant — pursue legal action for fraud.

Tips to Avoid Lying and Correct Misleading Details on Your CV

Here are some tips to avoid lying or misleading on your CV:

• Be as honest, open and transparent as possible: don’t attempt to inflate your job titles, exaggerate your achievements, or claim you’re qualified to do something that you’re not.
• Show evidence of your skills and achievements: only mention skills and achievements that you can back up with evidence from your career. If you’re tempted to say you have a certain skill, but you can’t think of any evidence of how and when you’ve used it, then for the purpose of your job application, you don’t possess that skill.
• Explain gaps in your employment history: if there are gaps in your employment history, be up-front and honest about these, and include your reasons for taking a career break. You only need to add a brief line between jobs to remove doubt for employers.

If you find you’ve unintentionally added false or misleading information on your CV, you can rectify it by doing the following:

• Be honest with the employer: if you recently submitted a CV, and realise you supplied inaccurate information on it, contact the employer immediately with an apology and a corrected CV example.
• Don’t wait for your interview: if an employer contacts you to arrange an interview, but you know they invited you off the back of misleading information on your CV, be up front with the employer before the interview, to give them a chance to reconsider. If you leave it until the interview to come clean, the employer might feel you’ve gained an unfair advantage with your application.
• Consider withdrawing your application: the noble thing to do if you’ve lied on your CV and you want to own up to it, is to withdraw your application. This could help you to avoid reputational damage.

Key Takeaways to Avoid Lying on Your CV

Lying on your CV is always a bad idea. It could have serious professional and criminal consequences for you, while the damage to an employer can be profound, if you’re working in a role you’re unqualified for. Always aim to present your CV clearly, transparently and professionally. CVwizard’s CV maker can help you create an eye-catching CV that impresses employers and helps you gain their trust. Sign up today to access a wealth of CV templates and tools for a winning CV.

Sources:

(1) Job Today, One in Three UK Jobseekers Lie on their CV

(2) CIFAS, Nearly a tenth of Brits admit they’ve lied on their CV in the last 12 months​

(3) Top Universities, Lying on Your CV: The Facts