New Delhi [India], August 20 : India's workforce faces an alarming rise in hiring discrepancies, with AuthBridge's latest Workforce Fraud Files 2025 revealing a 6 per cent discrepancy rate among white-collar employees and 4 per cent among gig workers.
The report points out that in white-collar roles, 17 per cent of resumes contained mismatches, while 13 per cent of employment verifications flagged inflated salaries, fake work experience, or contract violations.
The findings highlight the growing threat of misrepresentation in resumes, employment history, and identities, urging companies to adopt instant and ongoing verification to safeguard both business and customer trust.
The report, based on background verification data from October 2024 to March 2025, underscores the scale of the issue. It notes that a bad hire can cost employers up to one-third of an employee's first-year salary, amplifying the financial risks tied to fraudulent or misleading credentials.
Ajay Trehan, CEO & founder of AuthBridge said, "The findings from our latest discrepancy report underscore the pressing need for change across the industry. In an increasingly competitive job market, candidates are under immense pressure, leading many to misrepresent their credentials. This not only impacts a company's bottom line but also raises serious concerns about workplace safety and customer trust". He added that organisations can no longer rely on outdated hiring practices, stressing the need for verification models tailored to roles and risks.
Moonlighting (holding multiple jobs simultaneously) was found in 5 per cent of cases, particularly in tech and startup sectors. Education checks also revealed that 5 per cent of applicants presented fake degrees or certificates, while 2 per cent of court record checks uncovered offences ranging from theft to fraud.
The report found that 20 per cent of gig workers failed address verification, often due to frequent relocations or temporary housing. Notably, 3.5 per cent were linked to criminal histories involving theft, assault, and traffic violations.
Impersonation emerged as a unique challenge in the sector, where a different person often carried out a delivery than the one originally verified. This practice has led to pilferage, missing cargo, and other fraudulent activities, raising safety concerns for consumers.
The pharma sector recorded the highest discrepancy rate at 16 per cent, mainly due to unverifiable experience claims. Banking and financial services followed with an 11.69 per cent discrepancy rate, marked by widespread misrepresentation of employment histories. Telecom stood at 11.34 per cent, while IT/ITES registered nearly 1 in 5 candidates exaggerating their resumes.
As India's workforce adapts to hybrid, remote, and gig-based models, the report stresses that businesses must prioritise speed, scrutiny, and innovation in hiring. It concludes that ongoing verification, role-based checks, and advanced tools such as facial recognition and device binding will be critical in preventing fraud and building trust in the evolving employment landscape.
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