Faking it to Make it: Fake Reference Websites

An idle Google search for “fake job reference” will bring up thousands of results, covering everything from the morality of faking someone else’s reference to the processes employers use to spot a fraud. But with minimal effort, a job seeker can find a website claiming it will provide them with the resources they need to land that job – for a fee.

While the products they offer are faked, these websites’ creators do see them as legitimate businesses.

alibihq.com is one US website offering fake job references along with rental references, doctor’s notes, and even invitations to trade shows and events. Users can expect to pay US$199 for fake employment verification and US$99 for a fake job reference letter.

US based careerexcuse.com is another example, describing itself as “the official site for outsourcing your job references”. The website’s co-creator, 36 year old “William” has this to say about his services:

“Before starting careerexcuse.com, I was once a Human Resource Manager for a major food distributor company that had over 220 employees. This has given me valuable experience in all aspects of the hiring process, from the hourly production workers, to engineers, admin, and corporate executives. When a potential employer calls asking for references, careerexcuse.com knows the corporate human resource procedures, we know the questions they will ask and what their hot hiring buttons are.”

careerexcuse.com currently charges US$64 to use its services for one year. Like alibihq.com, the website also offers other services such as fake landlord references, doctor’s notes, letters of recommendation and certificates.

Unsurprisingly, careerexcuse.com isn’t easy to pin down. At least three addresses – careerexcuse.com, careerhoax.com and careercheat.com – all lead to the same content, and there are links promising content that doesn’t seem to exist.

That said, careerexcuse.com has the obligatory Twitter account with just over 200 followers, and users can also discuss the website’s services in its forum.

Eyal Ben-Cohen, managing director of pre-employment screening company Verifile, summed up the situation for employers and recruiters in an interview with timesonline.co.uk: “Seeing a certificate or ringing up is not enough.”

From the job seekers’ perspective, a recent discussion on indeed.com’s forum gives an insight into the issues driving these websites: after quitting on less than positive terms, a job seeker admits to considering the services of fake reference providers, unwilling to face yet another knock-back.

Yet while a fake job reference services are certainly accessible, and perhaps tempting for some, the responses to this particular post suggest more job seekers still advocate toughing it out rather than forking out for a fake.

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