Not long ago, CV and qualification fraud were seen as a fringe issue, and something that popped up in sensational headlines but rarely hit close to home. Then came the recent news that a former employee at a JSE-listed firm was fined R500,000 and barred from board positions for a decade, all for claiming a PhD they never earned. Suddenly, the story was no longer theoretical, but a real sense of the challenge that the majority of South African employers face today.
The hiring landscape is shifting quickly, and not in favour of the employer. The rise of fake qualifications, AI-written CVs, and overconfidence in outdated vetting methods may contribute in creating the perfect storm, that few companies can afford to navigate, writes Jennifer Barkhuizen, Head of Marketing at Managed Integrity Evaluation (MIE), a business unit of Mettus.
While the national corporate world processes the fallout of that scandal, international data is painting a more unsettling picture: CV and qualification fraud are on the rise, with AI being a major driver. In the United Kingdom, for example, 67% of large companies have witnessed an increase in job application fraud, with 45% discovering candidates who have either claimed a degree that they did not earn, or who have inflated their marks. Alarmingly, only 52% of large companies, 37% of medium-sized firms and 29% of small businesses claim to cross-reference candidate credentials, while some do not check at all.
In South Africa, MIE’s 2024 Background Screening Index reveals that qualification fraud remains a major area of concern in the country. Notably, of the 652,133 qualification checks processed in 2024, as many as 7.82% of matric certificates and 8.28% of short course qualifications were misrepresented. Here, tertiary qualification risk remains high, as many institutions do not maintain centralised records, often leading to delays in verification. Moreover, international qualifications remain a threat, with 11% of checks revealing inconsistencies or unverifiable records2.
In short, the evidence is clear that it’s never been easier for candidates to fake it, and it’s a proof point as to why a structured, end-to-end screening process remains critical, not just for regulated sectors, but for any organisation that takes people risk seriously.
For larger organisations, the stakes are even higher. With complex structures, high hiring volumes, and decentralised decision-making, it becomes easier for credential fraud to slip through the cracks. A single bad hire, particularly in leadership, finance, or compliance positions, can have a ripple effect across the entire business.
The traditional tools employers have leaned on for decades, such as gut feel, reference calls, and a cursory scan of credentials, are struggling to keep up, and the consequences of getting it wrong are growing. While a falsified CV may seem harmless at the interview stage, once the person is in your boardroom, your financial systems, or your client-facing teams, the risk is no longer just about inadequate performance. It’s about compliance failures, reputational damage, and, in the worst case, criminal liability.
Concerningly, most businesses remain unaware of the scale of the threat, with many assuming that fraud only occurs at senior levels or among desperate candidates. In reality, it’s affecting all sectors and at all seniority levels, and often passes undetected because verification systems are outdated, aren’t robust enough, or haven’t been used at all.
This mismatch between perception and reality is where the true risk lies. The result? A ticking time bomb in boardrooms, sales teams, and even healthcare, where misrepresentation can cost lives. Ultimately, when thorough screening procedures are applied consistently, it creates blind spots where fraud thrives.
This isn’t just about catching dishonest applicants, it’s about building a hiring process that is fair, rigorous, and reliable – one that applies the same standards to every candidate, regardless of their role or seniority. The truth is that you do not always know where the risk will come from, and this is why the same level of scrutiny must apply across the board.
That means going beyond instinct, traditional interview processes, and references. It requires verifying qualifications directly with institutions, validating identity documents through official sources, checking employment history for discrepancies, and assessing references critically, not just cold calling listed contacts.
Doing this well takes more than good intentions and dedication of time and resources. It takes the support of companies that know exactly what to look for, who understand nuances, the local context, and the red flags that are otherwise easy to miss, such as inconsistencies in employment dates and non-accredited institutions, to name a few.
This is where experience matters, and by working with a partner who is a specialist in this field, you can ensure that your background screening processes aren’t just consistent, but also compliant, confidential, and credible.
Trust is no longer a given in today’s hiring landscape. It must be proven, and the strongest organisations don’t leave that to chance. They don’t wait for fraud to make headlines in their own corridors and, instead, invest in processes that expose the gaps before they become risks, and verify every hire before trust is extended. Because in a world where credentials can be bought, true credibility must be earned.
