Jason Voorhees
𝕸𝖊𝖗𝖈𝖊𝖓𝖆𝖗𝖞 𝕮𝖔𝖗𝖕 • 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒🥇
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In one of my thread @TheGreatDetective brought up a point about background checks and how far they go and that he'd known people who got away with lieing entire resumes..I'll explain what my experiences have been. I have experienced the first 3 tiers of hiring myself.
Tier 1: Startups (Typically under 300 people)
Usually nothing or close to it. Maybe an ID check maybe a casual can you give us a reference.email that nobody actually calls. They don't have a dedicated HR/compliance person yet and to be frank no time either. I've watched people get hired with fabricated experiences and tenure dates and nobody cares to check. You can tell just from the offer letter at most you're signing an NDA, maybe an IP assignment agreement but there's no real verification behind it.
This is what an offer typically looks like no background checks involved nobody asked me for transcripts or even bothered checking my degree. All I had to do was sign an NDA and that too virtually.
Tier 2: Mid-Size to Large Corporations
This is where third-party screening vendors come in. Checkr, HireRight, Sterling, Accurate.
www.sterlingcheck.com
When dealing with major financial entities or massive multinational corporations, the background packet is a 10-page document. These companies run real checks, they are not just ticking boxes.This is cFirst form I had to fill at Amex yes they even do it for internships especially the well paid ones that touch the core system architecture
They are verifying hard and checkable facts, not how impressive your bullet points sound. They typically check
• Employment: Direct verification with past HR departments or using automated databases like The Work Number to lock down exact dates. Most people don't even realize their tenure and pay history is sitting in something like the work number like this until a background check pulls it back instantly.
• Education: Direct confirmation with university registrars. Claiming a degree you do not have is an instant, unmitigated fail.
• Criminal & Identity: SSN traces tracking your address history alongside county, state, and federal record checks.
This is why I say exaggeration is fine, everyone does it but fabrication is dangerous. Rounding up a vague title or stretching the scope of your impact is normal but Inventing a job that never existed or a degree you did not earn is a time bomb.
Now let's talk about something that people don't talk about. This system has real gaps. The most common ones I've seen is
• 1099/contractor work has no W-2 and often no HR department to call, so people stretch contractor gigs into full time roles because there's nobody on the other end to verify it. I used to do this very early on when I was just a freelancer and I got away with it every single time
• Defunct companies are a known exploit. If the company went bankrupt years ago there's no HR to call, so some people specifically claim roles at companies that no longer exist but you need to realize this is a red flag. My friend did this once and got grilled by the HR
• Overseas employment is legally restricted and hard to verify, so some companies just accept it with lower confidence and don't let these people touch core architecture until they have proven themselves instead of chasing it down. I did not study in a US school but still this did not happen in my case and they did do thorough checks but it can for you if you are lucky.
This is how the lied on their whole resume and got away with it stories happen. It's not that nobody checks or outsmarting some billion dollar company, it's just that certain categories of work are just hard to verify.
Tier 3: Big Tech & Fortune 25
Think Google, Meta, Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple,AMD etc. They run the same core checks as mid-size companies but turn the strictness up significantly. I immediately got handed massive 20-30 page form from Hireright where you must legally attest to your history multiple times. I can't even show that to you without getting into trouble but it is very detailed. On top of all the checks I mentioned these companies also:
• Continuous Screening: For roles touching critical infrastructure, security, or sensitive user data, companies re-run parts of your check periodically not just when hiring.
• Backchannel References: Recruiters do not just call the references you give them. They look through LinkedIn for mutual connections on your past teams to get the unfiltered truth about what you were like to work with. I can personally vouch for this happening to me.
Tier 3.5: Regulated Industries (Finance, Healthcare, Legal)
This one's separate from company size entirely. Doesn't matter if you're at a 50 person shop or a megacorp if the role touches a regulated profession, there's a mandatory extra layer. I didn't too much research for this thread but I know they exist and are quite stringent. This is exactly why someone can coast through a small startup with lofty claims but the second they try to move into a regulated role, it falls apart instantly.
Tier 4: The C-Suite & Executive Level
Regardless of company size, executive vetting is very invasive because a C suite hires are the face of the brand and company. If a CEO,CFO does some bullshit, harrasment etc the company stock can drop into the gutter in two days and can be the kind of PR nightmare that you cannot recover from so companies completely bypass standard HR vendors and call in specialized corporate intelligence firms like Kroll, Mintz Group, or the forensic arms of the Big Four (like KPMG Forensics). Yes it is indeed a thing and they are extremely thorough people physcially show up to the places they worked at inquire. On top of standard verification, they run deep litigation history searches, regulatory action checks, and full media/reputation sweeps.
www.kroll.com
Skipping this depth has completely destroyed corporate giants. Look back at the Enron scandal in the early 2000s.
en.wikipedia.org
Post-Enron, laws like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
en.wikipedia.org
shifted legal and financial accountability straight to corporate boards which is why executive checks became so brutal. If a board fails to catch a fraudulent executive profile in 2026 they face immediate shareholder lawsuits so no stone gets unturned when they hire execs
• Scott Thompson (Yahoo CEO, 2012): Ousted after just four months when an activist shareholder discovered he fabricated a Computer Science degree (his college didn't even offer the major when he graduated).
knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu
• Kenneth Lonchar (Veritas Software CFO, 2002): Forced to resign immediately after it was exposed that his claimed Stanford MBA was entirely made up.
www.computerworld.com
Tier 5: Defense Contractors & National Security Roles
If you are moving into aerospace, defense, or government contract work like say Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, certain roles in Boeing and Palantir.
Standard corporate checks are nothing. In the US, you will have to fill SF-86 (Questionnaire for National Security Positions).
en.wikipedia.org
This is a 100+ page biography of your entire life. It maps out ten years of foreign travel, foreign contacts, tax liens, bankruptcies and substance use. Websites you visited, social media posts, you comments every little thing.
Falsifying a material fact on an SF-86 is a federal felony also .For Secret and Top Secret clearances, federal investigators actively vet you. They do not just call your references; they physically show up at your old jobs, interview your old managers, and literally knock on your neighbors' doors. Some engineers are also required a polygraph lie detector test. I'm not joking and the government uses Continuous Vetting to monitor real time financial or legal red flags.
P.S None of this is global standard.
Everything above is largely describing the US system because I only worked for US companies at large and in US all policies are employer sided and are more permissive. Things are a lot more lax and informal in Europe compared to the US. GDPR infact even puts real legal limits on what employers can even ask or retain. It's not that people are more honest elsewhere, it's that the checking infrastructure isn't as robust so your mileage may vary depending on your country.
TLDR- Background check scales with company size, role sensitivity, industry, and even country. Startups check almost nothing; mid-size and big tech verify employment, education and so on and so forth as you climb the corporate ladder. My advice is to exagerrate and lie a little bit. Exaggeration is tolerated everywhere, but fabrication is much muc riskier and even gets criminal the higher and more regulated the role gets.
Tier 1: Startups (Typically under 300 people)
Usually nothing or close to it. Maybe an ID check maybe a casual can you give us a reference.email that nobody actually calls. They don't have a dedicated HR/compliance person yet and to be frank no time either. I've watched people get hired with fabricated experiences and tenure dates and nobody cares to check. You can tell just from the offer letter at most you're signing an NDA, maybe an IP assignment agreement but there's no real verification behind it.
This is what an offer typically looks like no background checks involved nobody asked me for transcripts or even bothered checking my degree. All I had to do was sign an NDA and that too virtually.
Tier 2: Mid-Size to Large Corporations
This is where third-party screening vendors come in. Checkr, HireRight, Sterling, Accurate.
Comprehensive Background Check Services | Sterling, a First Advantage company
Conducting pre-employment background checks is crucial in finding the right person for the job.✓ First Advantage background checks are fast, accurate and compliant.
www.sterlingcheck.com
When dealing with major financial entities or massive multinational corporations, the background packet is a 10-page document. These companies run real checks, they are not just ticking boxes.This is cFirst form I had to fill at Amex yes they even do it for internships especially the well paid ones that touch the core system architecture
They are verifying hard and checkable facts, not how impressive your bullet points sound. They typically check
• Employment: Direct verification with past HR departments or using automated databases like The Work Number to lock down exact dates. Most people don't even realize their tenure and pay history is sitting in something like the work number like this until a background check pulls it back instantly.
• Education: Direct confirmation with university registrars. Claiming a degree you do not have is an instant, unmitigated fail.
• Criminal & Identity: SSN traces tracking your address history alongside county, state, and federal record checks.
This is why I say exaggeration is fine, everyone does it but fabrication is dangerous. Rounding up a vague title or stretching the scope of your impact is normal but Inventing a job that never existed or a degree you did not earn is a time bomb.
Now let's talk about something that people don't talk about. This system has real gaps. The most common ones I've seen is
• 1099/contractor work has no W-2 and often no HR department to call, so people stretch contractor gigs into full time roles because there's nobody on the other end to verify it. I used to do this very early on when I was just a freelancer and I got away with it every single time
• Defunct companies are a known exploit. If the company went bankrupt years ago there's no HR to call, so some people specifically claim roles at companies that no longer exist but you need to realize this is a red flag. My friend did this once and got grilled by the HR
• Overseas employment is legally restricted and hard to verify, so some companies just accept it with lower confidence and don't let these people touch core architecture until they have proven themselves instead of chasing it down. I did not study in a US school but still this did not happen in my case and they did do thorough checks but it can for you if you are lucky.
This is how the lied on their whole resume and got away with it stories happen. It's not that nobody checks or outsmarting some billion dollar company, it's just that certain categories of work are just hard to verify.
Tier 3: Big Tech & Fortune 25
Think Google, Meta, Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple,AMD etc. They run the same core checks as mid-size companies but turn the strictness up significantly. I immediately got handed massive 20-30 page form from Hireright where you must legally attest to your history multiple times. I can't even show that to you without getting into trouble but it is very detailed. On top of all the checks I mentioned these companies also:
• Continuous Screening: For roles touching critical infrastructure, security, or sensitive user data, companies re-run parts of your check periodically not just when hiring.
• Backchannel References: Recruiters do not just call the references you give them. They look through LinkedIn for mutual connections on your past teams to get the unfiltered truth about what you were like to work with. I can personally vouch for this happening to me.
Tier 3.5: Regulated Industries (Finance, Healthcare, Legal)
This one's separate from company size entirely. Doesn't matter if you're at a 50 person shop or a megacorp if the role touches a regulated profession, there's a mandatory extra layer. I didn't too much research for this thread but I know they exist and are quite stringent. This is exactly why someone can coast through a small startup with lofty claims but the second they try to move into a regulated role, it falls apart instantly.
Tier 4: The C-Suite & Executive Level
Regardless of company size, executive vetting is very invasive because a C suite hires are the face of the brand and company. If a CEO,CFO does some bullshit, harrasment etc the company stock can drop into the gutter in two days and can be the kind of PR nightmare that you cannot recover from so companies completely bypass standard HR vendors and call in specialized corporate intelligence firms like Kroll, Mintz Group, or the forensic arms of the Big Four (like KPMG Forensics). Yes it is indeed a thing and they are extremely thorough people physcially show up to the places they worked at inquire. On top of standard verification, they run deep litigation history searches, regulatory action checks, and full media/reputation sweeps.
Screening and Due Diligence | Background Checks and Screening
Kroll offers a comprehensive spectrum of risk-based screening and due diligence solutions. Contact us for background checks and screening services.
Home
Mintz Group offers integrated risk advisory and dispute consultancy services, helping clients navigate complex global challenges with expert insights and innovative technology.
www.mintzgroup.com
Skipping this depth has completely destroyed corporate giants. Look back at the Enron scandal in the early 2000s.
Enron scandal - Wikipedia
Post-Enron, laws like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
Sarbanes–Oxley Act - Wikipedia
shifted legal and financial accountability straight to corporate boards which is why executive checks became so brutal. If a board fails to catch a fraudulent executive profile in 2026 they face immediate shareholder lawsuits so no stone gets unturned when they hire execs
• Scott Thompson (Yahoo CEO, 2012): Ousted after just four months when an activist shareholder discovered he fabricated a Computer Science degree (his college didn't even offer the major when he graduated).
Yahoo, Thompson and the Inflated Resume Problem
Given Yahoo's recent struggles -- and its revolving door for executives -- was the decision to force CEO Scott Thompson out so early in his tenure a smart one?…Read More
• Kenneth Lonchar (Veritas Software CFO, 2002): Forced to resign immediately after it was exposed that his claimed Stanford MBA was entirely made up.
Veritas CFO resigns over lie on resume
The storage software vendor said former CFO Kenneth Lonchar falsely claimed that he received an MBA from Stanford University.
www.computerworld.com
Tier 5: Defense Contractors & National Security Roles
If you are moving into aerospace, defense, or government contract work like say Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, certain roles in Boeing and Palantir.
Standard corporate checks are nothing. In the US, you will have to fill SF-86 (Questionnaire for National Security Positions).
Standard Form 86 - Wikipedia
This is a 100+ page biography of your entire life. It maps out ten years of foreign travel, foreign contacts, tax liens, bankruptcies and substance use. Websites you visited, social media posts, you comments every little thing.
Falsifying a material fact on an SF-86 is a federal felony also .For Secret and Top Secret clearances, federal investigators actively vet you. They do not just call your references; they physically show up at your old jobs, interview your old managers, and literally knock on your neighbors' doors. Some engineers are also required a polygraph lie detector test. I'm not joking and the government uses Continuous Vetting to monitor real time financial or legal red flags.
P.S None of this is global standard.
Everything above is largely describing the US system because I only worked for US companies at large and in US all policies are employer sided and are more permissive. Things are a lot more lax and informal in Europe compared to the US. GDPR infact even puts real legal limits on what employers can even ask or retain. It's not that people are more honest elsewhere, it's that the checking infrastructure isn't as robust so your mileage may vary depending on your country.
TLDR- Background check scales with company size, role sensitivity, industry, and even country. Startups check almost nothing; mid-size and big tech verify employment, education and so on and so forth as you climb the corporate ladder. My advice is to exagerrate and lie a little bit. Exaggeration is tolerated everywhere, but fabrication is much muc riskier and even gets criminal the higher and more regulated the role gets.
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