Ex-Employee Uses Fake Reference Check to Catch Their Former Boss Tarnishing Their Name to Potential Hiring Companies

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
May 28, 2026 4:00 PM EDT

How far are you willing to go to know what petty people are saying behind your back?

As much as we might try to be okay with everyone we know, no one can avoid being disliked by someone. People will always find something to complain about, but if you're lucky, that is as far as they will go.

A big problem might arise when someone who has a quelm with you decides to do something about it, while you have no idea it's happening. Every high school deals with kids starting rumors about other kids, and unfortunately, these issues are not contained to schools alone. Many adults might find themselves defending their honor over a lie someone else spread about them, just because they rubbed them the wrong way.

Workplaces are the adult version of high schools when it comes to these issues. Every workplace deals with countless false rumors spread between colleagues and silly rivalries between coworkers who have decided they don't like each other.

The problem shared below is somehow so much worse…

This ex-employee was shocked by what their ex-boss was saying behind their backs, and they turned to the Reddit community r/jobsearchhacks to share how they successfully dealt with it. It all started when they left their previous job eight months ago and started their journey of job searching. They were frustrated when every time they got a callback, something mysterious would happen that led to their rejection. No matter what this person did, they couldn't find a job.

Finally, they started to connect the dots and realized that the problem might be with their references. Their theory was that their ex-boss was purposely sabotaging their chances of getting a job by spreading lies to every recruiter who would call him for a reference. This led the ex-employee to test this theory by faking a reference check and calling their former boss to see what he said about them. 

The results proved that the boss's behavior was no different from that of a petty high schooler, but luckily, consequences were in store…

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  • 01
    A male model representing a businessman talking on the phone.
    via Curated Lifestyle

    A male model representing a businessman talking on the phone.

  • 02

    "How I used a fake reference check to catch my toxic ex-boss blacklisting me"

    I spent the last three months watching my job search turn into a total nightmare. I was getting plenty of initial callbacks because my resume is pretty tight and my portfolio is solid. I would blast
    via Wakanda_7
  • 03
    through the first two rounds of interviews for senior design roles, everything would feel absolutely perfect, and then the recruiters would suddenly go completely silent. No feedback, just generic
    via Wakanda_7
  • 04
    rejection emails or straight up ghosting. It happened four times in a row and I started feeling like I was losing my mind or that my work was secretly garbage.
    via Wakanda_7
  • 05
    I finally sat down and realized the only common denominator was the final stage where they asked for references from my last position. I left that job about eight months ago because the
    via Wakanda_7
  • 06
    creative director there was a manipulative nightmare who took credit for my layouts and hated when anyone stood up to him. When I gave my notice he told me that the industry is very small
    via Wakanda_7
  • 07
    and that I would regret leaving his team. I did not think much of it at the time because I figured he was just throwing a tantrum.
    via Wakanda_7
  • 08
    To test my theory I asked my sister who works in corporate insurance to do a little experiment with me. She used a burner email and called my ex- boss using her most formal
    via Wakanda_7
  • 09
    professional voice pretending to be a principal talent acquisition specialist for a major tech firm. She told him I was the top candidate for a high paying leadership role and that they just needed to verify my previous performance and reliability.
    via Wakanda_7
  • 10
    We put the call on speakerphone and I recorded the whole thing on my laptop. It took exactly thirty seconds for this guy to start absolutely trashing my reputation. He did not just say I
    via Wakanda_7
  • 11
    was a bad fit, he literally lied and said I missed major client deadlines, breached an NDA by showing private assets, and that the company was looking into legal action after I quit. I was
    via Wakanda_7
  • 12
    sitting there on my bed with my jaw on the floor listening to this lunatic completely burn my career to the ground over a fake job.
    via Wakanda_7
  • 13
    Instead of getting sad I got incredibly angry. I looked up the labor laws in my state regarding employment references and found out that while managers can give bad reviews, making up
    via Wakanda_7
  • 14
    provably false statements that cause financial harm is textbook defamation. I drafted a very cold, formal email and attached the audio file along with a screenshot of the state statute. I did not even
    via Wakanda_7
  • 15
    threaten to sue directly, I just stated that if any future employer mentioned receiving negative feedback from their company, my attorney would be filing a formal suit against him and the agency immediately.
    via Wakanda_7
  • 16
    His HR department called me back within two hours. They were absolutely panicking. They apologized profusely and sent me a signed letter stating that my
    via Wakanda_7
  • 17
    ex-boss is no longer allowed to handle reference requests and that all future inquiries will go through corporate HR who will only confirm my dates of employment and job title.
    via Wakanda_7
  • 18
    I applied for another role last week, used the official HR contact instead, and just signed my offer letter this morning. If your job search mysteriously stalls at the very end, do not assume it is your fault. Check what people are saying behind your back.
    via Wakanda_7
  • 19
    An older worker answering the phone in an office, represented by a male model.
    via Curated Lifestyle

    An older worker answering the phone in an office, represented by a male model.

  • 20
    Archway_nemesis701 I'm so sorry you had that happen to you, but I'm glad to ready you signed an offer letter. Unfortunately I've had an ex-boss tarnish my name to potential employers as well.
    via Archway_nemesis701
  • 21
    honey_biscuits 108 You should still consult with an employment attorney and see what type of of damages they could be facing. They caused financial damage by defaming your reputation, ruined employment prospects for the future. You should be compensated for that harm.
    via honey_biscuits108
  • 22
    Saturn_Decends_223 I wonder if there is a company I can hire to do this for me? Give them my resume, they make the calls, if they find something they help me fight it? If not there should be...
    via Saturn_Decends_223

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boss workplace-stories employee hr manager refrences job ex boss ceo workplace company job interview
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