Almost a fifth of people have lied about a qualification on their CV in the past year, or have known someone who has, a fraud prevention service has claimed.

Cifas carried out a survey with 19% of people saying they had done this, which is up slightly from the 17% the year before.

Some 2,000 people across the UK were surveyed between late August and early September for the research.

The research found that 38% of 16 to 24-year-olds had lied about qualifications or knew someone who had, whilst the figure was at 30% for 35 to 44-year-olds.

Witney Gazette: The people lying on their CV or knowing people who had had gone up slightly since 2021 The people lying on their CV or knowing people who had had gone up slightly since 2021 (Image: PA)

Those who are found to have made fraudulent applications could risk ending up with a criminal record, Cifas warned.

Cifas’ insider threat manager, Tracey Carpenter, said: “Whilst it may seem like a harmless exaggeration, there are very serious consequences associated with CV fraud, which can open up a gateway to other types of offences including bribery and employee theft.

READ MORE: ‘Everyday’ frauds that some people believe are reasonable to commit revealed

“Employees who commit CV fraud can be vulnerable to blackmail or extortion from criminals eager to gain access to a company’s sensitive information in order to steal funds or commit further fraud. It also unfairly edges out those candidates who otherwise may have been more suited for the role.”

The research also revealed that two in five people who suspected their colleague of CV fraud would not report it, which shows an increase from the previous year when a third said the same.