Delusions of grandeur or just plain lies?
An international firm retained SI to conduct a background investigation of a new director, selected from dozens of impressive candidates. This individual’s resume stood out claiming credentials as a certified public accountant, a certified forensic examiner and a certified internal auditor, along with an MBA degree and a broad employment history that included overseeing the investigations of forensic white collar crime at a Fortune 500 company, helming the audit process of a healthcare company undergoing a restructure, and working as an independent consultant with clients that included several government investigation agencies.
The first clue in the subject’s biography that suggested some of the professional claims were inflated or non-existent was a reference to employment at the “Securities and Exchange Bureau,” instead of referring to the entity as the Securities and Exchange Commission. From there, SI discovered that the claimed five-year position with a Fortune 500 actually lasted only two months, and an audit position with a Big 4 accounting firm was misrepresented by a period of more than three years. There was also no record of the subject’s claimed Master of Arts degree or any of the professional licenses. In addition, several media sources quoted the subject in the capacity of a medical doctor, but SI’s investigation revealed no medical licenses in the current or previous states of residency and employment. Searches of court records located several open judgments and tax liens, and a pending foreclosure action.
