Speaking with one of the managers of one of the well-known recruiting agencies recently, he told me that there have recently been attempts by F/O's trying to pass themselves off as captains.
FYI, background checks are almost ALWAYS carried out, and these consist of;
i) Contacting your previous employer;
ii) Asking around amongst other pilots to see who can confirm your status;
iii) A check with the aviation authority that issued your licence(s).
Times are lean at the moment, however there appear to be signs that things are opening up. If it follows historical precedents, the demand will be slow at first followed by a rapid rise in demand.
Don't do anything STUPID
now, that might see you forefit an opportunity for which you WILL qualify in the near future.
