CV Fraud in IT Recruitment

Ensuring integrity in technical recruitment

In the UK tech market a CV is more than a summary of experience. For many roles it decides who gets access to your systems, data and infrastructure. As competition for strong candidates grows, so does CV padding and outright fabrication.

From exaggerated job titles to inflated project responsibilities, CV fraud is becoming more sophisticated. The stakes are high for a hiring manager: a bad hire costs far more than the salary once recruitment, onboarding and lost time are counted, and in technical roles it can also open security gaps and damage team morale.

The human element of vetting

Many agencies rely on automated keyword matching, which is often the easiest check to beat with inflated claims. At Deerfoot, technology supports our consultants rather than replacing their judgement. With an average of 19 years in recruitment, our consultants are trained to spot the red flags that software misses, such as a career timeline that does not add up or a technical stack that does not fit the stated project outcomes.

The rise of "ghost" employers

Standard employment history checks usually confirm only job titles and dates. We have seen a worrying trend of candidates listing roles at shell companies that look professional at first glance, complete with a LinkedIn page and several listed employees.

A closer look often tells a different story. We check any employer we are unfamiliar with, and sometimes the company's filed turnover is too low to support even one employee on the minimum wage. A standard employment reference would never uncover this, because it only asks someone at the company to confirm a title and dates. Checking the employer itself catches the risk before a candidate reaches interview.

The challenge of remote integrity

Hybrid and fully remote working have added a new risk: the proxy candidate. There are documented cases where the person who shone in a remote video interview was not the person who logged on for day one.

We recommend that hiring managers meet new starters in person on their first day wherever possible. For fully remote staff in sensitive roles, particularly in cyber security, agree before they start how access and day-to-day activity will be monitored. For these roles the deepest level of pre-employment vetting is not optional; it protects your data and infrastructure.

Live AI use in interviews is a related risk. Our guide to AI in tech interviews covers what to allow and the warning signs to look for.

Pre-employment checks worth doing on every tech hire

These apply to permanent and contract hires alike:

• Right to work, using the Home Office online check for anyone with an eVisa, or an original British or Irish passport or a certified digital identity check. Since 1 October 2026 this applies to agency workers, contractors and subcontractors as well as employees.
• Employment history, including a look at any employer you do not recognise: its filed accounts, size and web presence.
• Professional qualifications and certifications, confirmed with the awarding body.
• Criminal record checks where the role justifies them, and security clearance where the work requires it.

If anything looks unusual, go deeper. We do.

Red flags we look for

Beyond checking employers, our consultants look for inconsistencies during screening calls. Common red flags include:

• Vague technical descriptions: broad buzzwords without being able to explain how or why a technical decision was made.
• Misaligned timelines: dates that change between versions of a profile, or experience with a technology that predates its release.
• Exaggerated responsibilities: a gap between the daily tasks a candidate describes and the senior title on the CV.

Identity checks and the 2:1 ratio

Alongside our human-led screening, we use certified biometric TrustID checks. Once an offer is made, we verify documents and identity so every hire is who they say they are.

This focus on authentic talent is reflected in our 2:1 CV submission to interview ratio. Our BSI-audited process filters out the noise and presents only the best-matched professionals, so your team can hire with confidence.

Sources: Home Office, right to work checks: an employer's guide; FCSA, right to work checks from 1 October 2026.