Beyond Pay Stubs: 5 Tests Employers Should Run to Spot Fraudsters

Pay stubs are the most commonly used method to verify the salary of an applicant. Most employers ask for payslips dating back to the previous three months. However, with the advent of fake paystub generators on the internet that can fudge your records for free, this has become a tricky territory. It is straightforward to build phony stubs that show inflated salaries but look entirely professional. So, as an employer, how can you check someone’s accountability without relying solely on salary records?

How to Verify Income without Pay Slips

Here are some effective methods to check the authenticity of a future employee without depending on old payment records. These can be used not only by employers but also landlords, money lenders, and entrepreneurs looking to expand their teams.

1. Clearly state that you would be conducting a screening
   Sometimes, just mentioning that you would be running a thorough screening process is plenty to discourage nervous fraudsters. They might come clean about any con they are running (read: using an illegal free pay stub generator) or decide to withdraw their application. </br>


2. Ask for a W-2 form
   A W-2 form depicts an employee’s gross earnings, taxes and deductions. While these forms can also be faked, the process is more arduous. A trustworthy potential recruit should have no problem sharing an authentic W-2 form with you for validation. At StubCheck.com, you can create professional, fully legal and printable W2 forms within minutes for $5.99. You only have to enter your personal information and wage details, letting the updated background calculator perform the calculations.


3. Follow up on references
   Asking a candidate to share recommendations is not just a formality; it is worthwhile validating them. You should ring up previous employers to confirm that the said person really held the role they mentioned in their interview or application. While few past employers are likely to verify the salary, you should be able to get a good sense of the person’s work ethics and dependability.


4. Request for bank account statements
   What could be more dependable than actually checking whether someone has the money they claim to have? A free pay stub generator online can fudge pay records, but account statements are much harder to tamper with. If you are particularly doubtful about an applicant and want to be doubly sure before entrusting them with a role, you can request for their bank records.


5. Request a Form 4506
   You can get this form from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). It shows a detailed transcript of the federal tax record of the person in question. It is a common method that credit agencies, lenders, etc., use to verify that someone’s claimed records match those with the IRS.

Caution: Some candidates might offer to share credit reports with you to save you the task of verification. However, just like fudging pay stub calculations, faking such reports has also become a piece of cake. It is worthwhile putting in the extra effort to validate someone’s income before taking them on as an employee, tenant, or any other role involving monetary transactions.