Got FAKE Documents? How HR Managers Will Get You

By Tabitha Makumi,
This past week, a story of one man who had lots of nerve trying to pull off something daring went viral on the mainstream media. Caleb Daniel Short tried to impersonate an FBI agent at the Mara Game Reserve but failed miserably.

I don’t know, maybe he thought his lie would fly and no one would question if he was truly an FBI agent or just pretending to be one. But someone wanted to confirm if he was truly who he was saying he was. As it turned out, he was a FAKE because the US embassy in Nairobi didn’t know of his existence.

You might not fake to be an FBI agent but you might fake your degrees, diplomas and certificates to get a position which asks for qualifications which you’ve not met. “I know someone located in Ruiru who can get you any kind of document which you are looking for. Whether you want a title deed, a death certificate or a degree from Harvard, he can produce one for you,” says Martha Kwamboka *not her real name* when I bring up the issue of fake documents.

The use of fake documents among job seekers apparently is not just a thing for the ‘common’ wananchi but also for the elite as they may be called. You will recall the most recent cases being those of outspoken lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi and that of Mombasa Dovernor Ali Hassan Joho where their academic qualifications have been thoroughly scrutinized in the past.

For the latter, even the school Kampala University came forward to reveal that there was no indication that he attended the university in the first place since his name did not appear on the register and they didn’t have official admission documents into the university.

“The issue of job seekers using fake documents is real and as Human Resource practitioners we have ways of proving if you are telling the truth or embellishing something,” confirms Martin Githaiga, a recruiter with Corporate Staffing Services.

He adds that recruiters got to the lengths of doing a thorough background check on those who get shortlisted for a particular job. This he explains is done by getting in touch with the contacts which a job seeker has provided as his/her referees from various institutions.

And that’s just not it. He explains that, “It’s also our job to carefully look at the years and see whether your working years or years which you say you attended such and such school add up. If something looks fishy, my antennae’s go up”

But what if you are too good in faking it to the point that you end up being invited for an interview? “Most people who embellish their documents cannot rise to the occasion when it comes to being interviewed. When I meet you for the first time and get to gauge you from your presentation skills and how you handle the questions been asked during the interview, I will definitely know something is amiss.”

He concludes by adding that there are those who are so good at it that they end up getting the job using fake documents. “Sure, you can fool everyone but if your employer finds out in the future you took them for ride, it guarantees for disciplinary action such as immediate summary dismissal for providing fake information.”