Back in November, YourMoney.com asked the question ‘Could you be sent to prison for lying on your CV?’.

The answer is yes and it appears a large number of people are not heeding the warning.

New research has revealed that one in 11 people in the UK have lied about their degree qualification on their CV over the last twelve months, according to fraud prevention service Cifas.

The survey of 2,000 adults showed a slight increase in the number of respondents who knew someone that had lied on their CV – 10% when compared to 8% just a year earlier.

Despite lying on a CV or supplying false information on a job application being fraudulent, 16% of those surveyed didn’t think that it was illegal. Nearly a third of these (31%) were aged between 16-24, indicating that school and university leavers may have been tempted to exaggerate their qualifications when applying for jobs.

When asked whether they would report a colleague who had lied on their CV, respondents were more likely to not report them (39%) than to turn them in (28%).

Fraudsters face a prison sentence

Tracey Carpenter, insider threat manager for Cifas, said: “However tempting it may be to exaggerate qualifications or experience to stand out from other candidates, job seekers need to know that this type of dishonest behaviour comes with enormous personal consequences. As well as potentially jeopardising any future career opportunities, they could also face prosecution and a prison sentence.

“Dishonest individuals not only pose a risk to their employer but also to customers, other staff and shareholders, so organisations should look to better protect themselves by carrying out rigorous checks throughout the employee lifecycle to identify any potential fraud risks.”