Man charged with fraud over fabricated CV
A man who landed a £165,000-a-year role at an investment bank
has been charged with fraud following the discovery that he
invented 'large sections' of his CV.
Peter Gwinnell's CV was so convincing that he was approached by
headhunters who had viewed it online and won the role of Deputy CEO
at Ahli United Bank. Gwinnell's CV claimed that he had degrees from
both Oxford and Harvard universities and had previously worked for
JP Morgan.
After he had been in the role for four weeks, checks carried out
by his employer revealed that he had not attended either university
or worked for JP Morgan. He was also found to have been in prison
for six months prior to fabricating his CV.
Following the deception, Gwinnell pleaded guilty to fraud at
Southwark Crown Court and was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison, to
be suspended for 18 months. He was also banned from uploading his
CV in the future without permission from the Court.
Managing Director of pre-employment screening company Powerchex,
Alexandra Kelly, said, “Organisations need to trust their
employees, but it is also important not to take unnecessary
risks.
“Allowing a new employee to start work before relevant
background checks are completed is extremely bad business
practice,” she added.