Fake job references?

[Cassandra]

In my part-time job, we've been getting calls, now at 4 or 5 a week, of companies and mortgage companies wanting job references for someone who's never worked there. Is there some website somewhere that's selling this to people who have no good references of their own? This used to be an occasional thing but is now very frequent for a tiny office.

[underpants]

1. Two stories

the owner of the house across the street from us had to move here from Georgia because the last tenant had used a network of fake rental references to get the house. She didn't pay rent for 5 months and then split. Her daughter was "home schooled" and apparently was out the door the second mom left to go anywhere. I knew something was up from what I saw after early morning runs (beer cans, orange traffic cones in the yard) as well as seeing a carload of kids just around the corner on a Friday night-been there done that.

Part of the whole mortgage crisis thing (not the real money mind you) was that for $150 you could get a phone number with a fake employer and they gave the mortgage people fake info on your employment and salary.

[solinvictus]

3. Shit!

And I thought politicians were the only professional liars!

[jmowreader]

2. You're not going to fucking believe it...

but yes there is.

http://referencesforsale.com/
http://www.utzi.net/a381892-get-the-job-with-the-right.cfm

However, it seems you put THEM down, and they lie for you. In your case, it looks more like they're pulling names out of the phone book.

[Cassandra]

4. I have a feeling if we dug long enough...

we'd find the one that does it by trolling the Web, since I think that's where they got us from. My employer would prefer I ignore them but could there be something dangerous in doing that? Would we open ourselves up to some worse level of scam?

[noamnety]

5. I had one of those once.

They wanted a fax confirming employment dates for some woman I'd never heard of - and we're a small school, I've been there from the start. I know the name of every employee we've had since day one except for the last names of some maintenance staff.

Well, turns out I was a big idiot - it was a reference for a woman who got married after she left us - the name change threw me. I still feel like a schmuck for denying she worked there, but fortunately it all got worked out. Just tossing that out so people in my position think to ask about that before assuming it's a scam.

[ArtVandelay]

6. Well she should have added "nee Smith" at the end

That's how you say your name changed since you were there. Obviously I am using the fake name Smith.

[Cassandra]

7. Thanks, I'll be alert to that.

So far even the first names have been ones I don't recognize. I've only worked there a couple of years but I've been around the place almost 20 years.