Introduction: The Hidden Cost of Hiring Without Verification
Talent is abundant today but authenticity isn’t. Indian employers are facing a rising wave of candidate misrepresentation, including fake degrees, forged payslips, manipulated employment history, and fabricated experience letters.
According to a 2024 TeamLease report, nearly 18% of resumes screened in India contain discrepancies. Another industry analysis by NASSCOM revealed that background verification (BGV) failures have grown by over 25% year-on-year, particularly in IT, BFSI, and healthcare.
With hybrid work and digital hiring becoming the norm, HR teams are under more pressure than ever to distinguish genuine candidates from fraudulent ones. This makes background verification services not just a compliance formality but a strategic safeguard for every organization.
At Pietos, we’ve seen firsthand how fake payslips and fabricated degrees can slip through traditional screening processes. That’s why a strong verification framework, powered by digital tools and smart data validation is crucial for every HR department in India.
1. Understanding the Fake Degrees and Fake Payslips Problem in India
Candidate misrepresentation goes beyond lying on a resume. It’s a deliberate attempt to mislead recruiters about one’s professional or educational background. Here are the most common types HRs encounter today:
a. Fake Degrees and Education Certificates
This involves submitting forged or unverified degrees from unrecognized or non-existent universities. Many such documents appear legitimate at first glance, often supported by fake seals and verification websites.
b. Fake Payslips and Salary Proofs
Fake payslips are created to inflate the candidate’s last drawn salary, often to negotiate a higher package. Some also use them to falsify continuous employment after gaps.
c. False Experience Letters and Designations
Candidates may create experience letters from defunct companies or use altered documents to exaggerate their roles, experience length, or seniority level.
d. Withholding Previous Employment History
In some cases, candidates omit a problematic past job, especially if they were terminated or involved in disciplinary issues.
e. Fake Identity or Address Details
Incorrect or fabricated residential details make traceability difficult, especially in remote hiring setups.
2. Why Candidate Misrepresentation Is Rising Across Industries
Understanding the motivation behind misrepresentation helps HR leaders design better prevention strategies.
Some common reasons include:
- Fierce competition in industries like tech, finance, and healthcare.
- Pressure to meet salary benchmarks or clear internal background checks.
- Employment gaps due to layoffs or personal reasons.
- Awareness of limited verification systems in smaller organizations.
- Availability of fake document sellers online, who now operate through social media and even AI tools.
A simple internet search for “fake payslip generator” or “buy degree online” yields alarming results, hundreds of fraudulent websites offering fake documents. This trend underscores why companies must strengthen employee background verification now more than ever.
3. How Fake Degrees and Payslips Are Created
The digital age has made forgery sophisticated. Here’s how fraudsters operate:
- Degree mills issue counterfeit certificates that appear genuine and list fake registration numbers.
- Payslip editing tools allow modification of PDF templates, logos, and figures with shocking ease.
- Fake verification portals mimic legitimate university websites, showing “verified” results for false credentials.
- AI-driven document forgery tools now generate fake seals, QR codes, and even HR signatures.
Without professional help, it’s nearly impossible for recruiters to identify these subtle manipulations. This is where digital verification services like Pietos come into play — using direct database checks, UGC verification, and employer record validation.
4. The Real Risks for Employers
Hiring a candidate with falsified credentials can create multiple challenges:
- Financial Losses: Unqualified hires lead to low productivity and training costs.
- Legal & Compliance Risks: Employing individuals with fake qualifications may violate industry or government mandates.
- Reputational Damage: A single news story about a fraudulent hire can harm employer branding.
- Internal Fraud: Especially in BFSI or fintech, hiring under false pretenses can lead to embezzlement or data theft.
- Security Threats: In sectors like healthcare or IT, unauthorized access to sensitive data can have national implications.
5. How HRs Can Detect Fake Degrees and Payslips
Step 1: Always Cross-Verify Education with Official Sources
- Use the University Grants Commission (UGC) and AICTE websites to check institution legitimacy.
- For technical degrees, verify through the National Academic Depository (NAD) portal.
Step 2: Validate Employment via Direct HR Contact
- Contact previous employers directly instead of relying on letters provided by the candidate.
- Ensure company domain-based emails are used for verification (not Gmail, Yahoo, etc.).
Step 3: Payslip Verification Using Bank Statements and Form 16
- Match salary figures with bank statement credits or Form 16 records.
- Watch for inconsistent formatting or misaligned company logos.
Step 4: Use Digital Address Verification
- Platforms like Pietos Digital Address Verification allow instant location validation using geotagged evidence and consent-based APIs.
Step 5: Conduct Court and ID Checks
- Cross-check PAN, Aadhaar, and court records to ensure the candidate’s legal identity and clean history.
Step 6: Partner with a Professional Background Verification Agency
- A trusted partner like Pietos combines human intelligence with digital data access to authenticate employment, education, and address details — all while ensuring legal compliance.
6. Digital Tools That Identify Fake Degrees and Fake Payslips Faster
The shift from manual to digital verification is revolutionizing HR compliance.
Modern verification platforms like Pietos leverage:
- AI-powered data validation to detect anomalies in payslips or degree templates.
- Real-time database integration with UGC, NAD, EPFO, and court records.
- Geo-tagged address checks to eliminate the inefficiencies of physical visits.
- Dashboard-based candidate reports for faster, audit-ready insights.
This digital-first approach not only ensures speed and accuracy but also strengthens data security and candidate experience.
7. Legal, Ethical, and Compliance Framework for HRs in India
Indian HR professionals must ensure that background checks comply with data privacy laws such as:
- IT Act, 2000 and Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023
- Employment Exchange (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959
- GDPR-equivalent obligations for global employers
Always obtain candidate consent before verification and communicate the scope transparently.
8. Real Cases of Fake Degrees and Fake Payslips Caught in Verification
At Pietos, we’ve identified hundreds of fraudulent cases, from fake IIT degrees to forged bank statements.
In one case, a candidate submitted a payslip from a non-existent fintech company, which upon verification was found to be a registered shell entity. The HR avoided a potential financial risk and legal exposure by opting for digital employment verification.
These examples highlight why pre-employment checks must evolve from optional to essential.
9. How Pietos Helps HRs Stay Ahead
With experience across sectors like BFSI, IT, Healthcare, and Manufacturing, Pietos offers end-to-end background verification including:
- Education Verification
- Employment Verification
- Address Verification (Digital & Physical)
- Criminal Record & Court Check
- Reference Check
- UAN & Bank Statement Validation
Learn more about how Pietos supports HR compliance at www.pietos.com.
10. Conclusion: Building a Fraud-Proof Hiring Culture with Digital Verification
Fake documents may have become smarter but so has verification.
The future of HR lies in combining technology, transparency, and trusted verification partners.
Every company must adopt a “Trust, but Verify” philosophy, where empathy meets accountability.
With digital background verification, HRs can move faster, hire confidently, and safeguard organizational integrity.
As India continues to embrace digital transformation, partners like Pietos ensure that trust remains the foundation of every hire.
Call us on 9821011624/+91 11 49074103 or email us on contact@pietos.com to know more about our services.
