Phillip Hufton, 52, from Cheshire told Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) he had a PhD, a master’s degree, five other diplomas and memberships to various prestigious professional bodies to get a job as a Business Development Manager for the Middle East at the trust. In reality, he only had a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.

Once he’d been employed Hufton began to rack up expenses by fabricating business trips. He claimed £9,000 for a trip to refugee camps in Jordan but his phone’s GPS placed him in the US. He even sent a colleague a photo he’d downloaded from Google of the camp to convince them he was working.

He also created a fake email account to authorise £13,000 of expenses while on the trip. He was employed for nearly 18 months before suspicious colleagues noticed irregularities in his working time and expenses.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust said: “He may well have committed further crimes if hadn’t been for the diligence of colleagues who raised initial concerns, and our internal investigators who then alerted Cambridgeshire Constabulary.”

The case is a reminder of why it’s crucial for organisations to run a background check on new hires and existing employees. First Advantage’s solutions can verify a candidate’s qualifications, employment history and professional qualifications.

For more information on backgrounding checking solutions contact EMEA@fadv.com