Is It Illegal to Lie on Your CV? Risks and UK Law
In this article, we provide detailed guidance about the potential consequences of lying on your CV, and dispel common misunderstandings and confusion about CV lies.
It can be tempting to exaggerate your qualifications or stretch the truth when writing your CV, especially if you're having trouble scoring interviews. However, this can cause you problems, including exclusion from the recruitment process and dismissal from your job, and lying on your CV can even be illegal in the UK.
In this article, you'll find:
- Details on the legal consequences of lying on your CV in the UK and other countries.
- Some of the key information candidates typically lie about on CVs.
- How employers might discover CV lies, and what can happen if they do.
- What you can do to improve your CV without lying, exaggerating or misleading the reader.
Is it illegal to lie on your CV in the UK?
Lying on your CV can be illegal in the UK in certain circumstances. The Fraud Act 2006 lays out three types of offence that constitute fraud. These are 'fraud by false representation', 'fraud by failing to disclose information' and 'fraud by abuse of position'. Lying on a CV could fall into the category of fraud by false representation.
A CV containing lies about your experience or qualifications could meet the definition of fraud by false representation, which states that a person is in breach of the law if they:
- Dishonestly makes a false representation
- Do so with intent to make a gain for themselves or somebody else, or to cause (or risk causing) loss to another person.
As the law states, your intent matters. Falsely representing yourself isn't a crime on its own, but if you do so with intention to make a personal gain, this can be illegal. While exaggerating on your CV probably wouldn't meet this threshold, outright lying could, as you would be falsely representing yourself with the objective of gaining a job.
Aside from the Fraud Act 2006, lying on a CV could have serious implications for various roles that legally require a certain type of licence or qualification. For example, practising law, medicine, accounting or engineering roles while lying on your CV about your credentials could all lead to major legal complications beyond the Fraud Act 2006.
Exaggeration vs lying – where is the line?
The best approach for any CV or cover letter is complete honesty. The further you stray from the straightforward truth, the more likely you are to get into trouble with your job applications. You might feel you can make a greater impact with your applications by slightly exaggerating the impact and influence you had in a previous role. In this case, the worst that's likely to happen is you'll get found out during an interview, or if you get the job, you won't last long.
However, intentionally misleading the recruiter or employer by adding completely false details, such as fabricating qualifications and licences, reporting made-up grades, lying about your responsibilities in a role or providing false achievements and performance indicators, is a different thing entirely. If you stray into this territory in your CV, you could face legal issues.
Exaggerating vs optimisation
When it comes to exaggerating on your CV, it's important to make the distinction between self-promotion and bending the truth. You'll want to present yourself as positively as possible to prospective employers. In fact, in the UK, recruiters and hiring managers will expect you to 'sell yourself' in your CV, rather than presenting a dry account of your career history and qualifications. As such, there's nothing wrong with using adjectives to describe the impact you made, focusing on the value you added or even omitting details that could cast doubt into the mind of the employer.
What counts as lying on a CV?
Take a look at the table below for some examples of what counts as acceptable optimisation of a CV, and what counts as lying:
Acceptable examples
- Tailoring wording to reflect the job description
- Highlighting achievements and showcasing performance metrics
- Focusing on transferable skills and personal qualities that you can evidence
- Omitting irrelevant details that have no bearing on your ability to do the job
Unacceptable examples
- Fake job titles that exaggerate your seniority or importance
- Invented employment, by creating jobs that you never had, or lying about employers
- Fabricated or misleading dates of employment that might cover career gaps
- Fake qualifications or certifications that make you appear more qualified than you are
The most common CV lies employers catch
According to research, around 70% of people admit to having lied on their CV, while 37% admit to doing it regularly. But what are the main things candidates are lying about in an attempt to boost their profiles? Let's take a look:
Category | Explanation |
Job titles, seniority and responsibilities | When applying for a higher position, it might be tempting to exaggerate your seniority or responsibility in previous roles. However, the employer can easily catch you out by probing you on aspects of management or reaching out to your colleagues on LinkedIn. |
Experience | Many employers specify a minimum number of years' experience, which can disadvantage younger candidates. It may seem harmless to add a year or two to your experience but this is the same as telling a lie and can easily be found out when an employer checks dates of employment with a previous employer. |
Dates of employment | There are plenty of valid reasons for having gaps in your CV. It can be tempting to fudge dates of employment to cover for gaps, but it's better to be honest and focus on the positive things you took from a gap in your work history. |
Qualifications | Some employers specify essential qualifications as a way to weed out unsuitable candidates. You may think nothing of adding an extra qualification to flesh out your CV or skill set, but employers can easily check your academic credentials. |
Skills | With more and more companies branching out into international markets, language skills are becoming some of the most sought-out skills by employers. However, as language skills are easy to test either via written tests or conversations with existing employees, this is one lie where you’ll almost certainly be caught out. |
Reasons for leaving | Not everyone parts with their employer on good terms, and if you didn't, you probably won’t want to advertise this information to future employers. However, it's always best to seek for the positives rather than lying about your employment history. |
References | If you were dismissed, it may be challenging to obtain a good reference from your former manager or boss. However, falsifying references can put you at risk of being sued for libel. |
Salary | It can be tempting to lie about your current salary in the hope of being offered a higher one by your future employer. This, though, is the sort of thing that can be easily verified through background checks or through probing questions asked by the employer. |
School or university grades | It might seem like a small lie to boost your grades by a few marks to ensure you're eligible for the role. However, employers may ask for your certificates as proof of your grades, making this one lie that's easily discovered. |
Certifications or licences | Professional qualifications can give you an advantage in your job applications, so it might be tempting to fabricate one or two to get ahead. But by doing so, you could easily jeopardise health and safety or put the company at risk of legal action. |
Employment status | You might feel that being currently out of work puts a negative spin on your CV, but it's perfectly normal to take a career break to search for a new job. Be honest about your status, and approach it positively for a greater impact. |
Projects or achievements | Making up projects or fabricating performance indicators and metrics of success may seem like a harmless way to boost your standing. By doing this, though, you'll be raising employer expectations about what you can deliver, which can easily backfire. |
What happens if you lie on your CV?
There could be wide-ranging consequences if you lie on your CV, depending on the nature of the lie and the role and industry you're applying to. Here's a quick summary of what could happen if you lie or mislead recruiters or employers on your CV:
- Embarrassment during interviews: At best, a lie being uncovered during the interview process can cause embarrassment and probably ruin your chances of being seriously considered for the role.
- Removal from the hiring process: Employers will be well within their rights to remove you from consideration for the role, if they uncover a lie at any stage of the recruitment process.
- Dismissal from the job: If you make it all the way to being hired, there's still a chance a lie in your application is uncovered. This could be because you don't have the skills or knowledge you said you had, or it becomes impossible to keep covering up for the lie. In this case, you put yourself at considerable risk of dismissal.
- Damaged reputation or blacklisting: If your lie had serious consequences for an employer, you run the risk of long-term reputational damage that could stay with you when applying for other roles in the industry.
- Legal consequences: Any lie on your CV leaves you at risk of criminal charges, according to the Fraud Act 2006. This risk is particularly strong in highly regulated roles such as law, medicine and engineering, where your lie could lead to significant breaches in regulations and put the hiring company at risk.
Consequences of CV lies in different countries
It's clear that CV lying can be considered fraud in the UK. If convicted, you could be issued a fine or sentenced up to 10 years, if you exaggerated your qualifications with the intention of gaining employment.
But what happens if you lie on your CV in other countries? Here's a quick rundown of some of the countries you might apply for jobs in, and the consequences of lying on your CV there:
Country | CV lie consequences |
Ireland | CV lying is not technically illegal, but it’s still considered fraud and can lead to dismissal. |
Australia | Lying on a CV isn't a crime in itself, but it can lead to charges of fraud or deception if you lie to obtain a financial advantage like a salary. The Fair Work Act 2009 can lead to CV lies being cause for dismissal. |
New Zealand | There's no legislation against lying on personal documents. However, you can be convicted for forging qualifications or failing to disclose a criminal record. |
United States | While a CV isn't a legally binding document in the US, lying on your application for regulated industries can lead to termination, blacklisting, legal action for fraud, or criminal charges. |
Europe | In many European countries, CV lying can be considered fraud in the same way as the UK. This can mean contract termination for gross misconduct, legal annulment of employment, or criminal prosecution. |
How employers find out if you lied on your CV
Employers routinely verify the information on your CV, and there are plenty of methods they use to check whether the claims you make in your application are genuine. Here are just a few tools at the disposal of recruiters and employers to help them easily uncover CV lies.
Background checks
There are various ways employers can carry out official checks to verify your details. These include checking your employment history, right to work, criminal records, credit history and other personal details.
Qualification verification
Employers might wish to verify your eligibility for certain roles by checking degree certificates, professional memberships or specialist certifications or licences. They may also set skills tests to check you have the knowledge required for the job.
References
Recruiters tend to check your references as a final verification before you commence employment. Experienced HR managers and recruiters will have plenty of experience checking references, so they'll easily be able to uncover any fake or misleading references you provide.
LinkedIn and social media
Checking social media accounts has become a standard stage of the recruitment process for many employers and recruiters. LinkedIn is a great way for employers to corroborate claims you make on your CV, while they may also dig into personal social media accounts to help them make judgements on your character.
How to improve your CV without lying
If you're struggling to break through to the interview stage with your job applications, there are several things you can do to improve your CV without resorting to lying or exaggerating. Here are some of the most effective tips for improving the impact of your CV without lying:
- Reframing responsibilities: It's possible to put a more positive spin on your responsibilities without making up duties you never carried out. If you completed a menial task, for example, reframe it in the context of its wider contribution to team success. For help with how to do this, take a look at Jobseeker's CV examples and utilise AI suggestions in Jobseeker's CV builder.
- Omitting poor grades: If you received poor grades, there's no need to draw attention to them in your CV. If there isn't a specific grade requirement for the role, feel free to leave them out of your CV, and if a qualification you struggled with isn't a requirement of the role, you can omit it altogether.
- Highlighting transferable skills: Soft and transferable skills are growing in importance for employers all the time. If you're light on technical skills or relevant work experience, provide examples of how you've built transferable skills in other settings, such as hobbies, volunteer work or other extracurricular activities.
- Explaining gaps clearly: Omitting or covering up CV gaps can raise more questions than answers with employers. The best strategy is typically to address these in your CV clearly, providing reasons and framing them in a positive light.
- Taking courses or part-time education: One of the best ways to make up for possible shortcomings in your CV is to take courses or new qualifications. Focusing on your professional development can make you genuinely more employable, while also showing employers you're a proactive and committed candidate.
- Providing details in your cover letter: Your cover letter gives you a great opportunity to add context to your CV and put a positive spin on your experience and skills. Take a look at Jobseeker's cover letter examples to see how to write a supporting letter that enhances the details submitted on your CV.
- Using an eye-catching CV template: The presentation of your CV can go a long way to making your application look more polished and professional. Using a CV template like those offered by Jobseeker is a great way to do this, without needing to focus heavily on design principles.
Key takeaways to help you avoid lying on your CV
Lying on your CV is never worth it, even if you think it can boost your chances of progressing to the interview stage. It can, under some circumstances, be considered a criminal offence in the UK, putting you at risk of prosecution. In other countries, whether or not it's strictly illegal, it also has serious consequences.
At best, CV lying can cause embarrassment at an interview, but it could also see you excluded from the recruitment process, dismissed from your job or blacklisted for future opportunities. Remember, employers routinely carry out checks on candidates, making it easy for them to uncover lies on a CV. There are plenty of things you can do to improve your CV, without resorting to lying, exaggerating or misleading the reader.
The best way to produce a clear, honest CV that impresses employers for all the right reasons is by using a CV builder like Jobseeker. With Jobseeker, you can access CV tools and resources to equip you with all the knowledge you need to navigate this stage of the recruitment process. Sign up today and select from pre-designed CV and cover letter templates that give your application a professional look and feel, giving you more time to focus on writing CV content that puts you in the frame for the job.
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