1 in 5 individuals have lied about their university degree to secure employment

• 14% say it is ‘reasonable’ to exaggerate qualifications
• Most respondents would not report a colleague if they discovered dishonesty
• Organisations urged to carry out thorough vetting checks on applicants

Nearly a fifth (18%) of UK people have lied on their CVs and job applications in order to land a role, or know someone who has, in the last 12 months – research from the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, Cifas, has revealed.

Its latest Fraud Behaviours Survey shows falsifying CV qualifications and supplying false information on a job application was the second ‘most common’ type of first party fraud (when an individual knowingly misrepresenting their identity or providing false information for financial or material gain). Additionally, 1 in 7 of those surveyed (14%) felt it was ‘reasonable’ to say they had achieved a 2:1 degree to secure a job, when in reality they had failed their final year of university.

Today (3 February) marks ‘National Sickie Day’ – when UK employees are more likely to be off work with illness. While many will have legitimate reasons for doing so, Cifas’ Fraud Behaviours research shines a light on people’s willingness to be dishonest.

However, when asked what they would do if they had discovered their colleague was dishonest about their qualifications, anonymously reporting it received a mixed reaction from respondents. A third (33%) said they would tell HR confidentially compared to 36% who would choose not to raise it, with the remaining 31% ‘unsure’.

Rachael Tiffen, Director of Learning and Public Sector, said: ‘First-party fraud is not a trivial offence – it erodes trust and carries significant consequences for those involved, including potential criminal charges and the risk of damaging future career prospects.

‘When someone falsifies their CV to land a job, they won’t stand out in a positive way. Instead, they may be viewed as an ‘insider threat’ – someone who demonstrates dishonesty, raising concerns about their potential to continue deceiving others in the workplace.

‘Dishonest staff members not only pose a risk to their employers, but they also endanger customers, colleagues, and wider stakeholders. To protect themselves, organisations should implement thorough checks across the entire employee lifecycle to identify and mitigate any fraud risks.’

Discover more from the latest Cifas Fraud Behaviours report.

Cifas’ Insider Threat Protect solution helps to target internal risks through data, intelligence, and learning. Additionally, through the Cifas Fraud and Cyber Academy courses on offer and the Digital Learning programme, organisations can add another critical layer of protection to their workforces.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

For more information, please contact Hayley Paterson, Cifas Press and PR Manager, on 020 4551 7072 or press@cifas.org.uk.

Survey methodology

The survey was carried out by Opinion Matters on behalf of Cifas with a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK people between 22-28 May 2024.

About Cifas

Cifas is the largest not-for-profit fraud prevention service in the UK. It has more than 750 members who represent various industries including banking, retail, insurance, and telecoms. Cifas protects businesses and individuals from fraud through effective and secure data and intelligence sharing between the private, public and third sectors. Additionally, the independent organisation offers a range of products and services to help businesses prevent fraud and delivers specialist counter-fraud training through its Cifas Fraud and Cyber Academy and Digital Learning programme.

Cifas’ data is included in the Office of National Statistics England and Wales Crime Statistics of police recorded crime and it works alongside law enforcement agencies in tackling fraud. In 2023, Cifas members prevented more than £1.8bn of fraud losses. Website | LinkedIn | X

About Opinion Matters

Opinion Matters is an independent market research agency that create bespoke market research solutions for businesses, organisations, and agencies worldwide.  Opinion Matters abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.

Contact us at press@cifas.org.uk