Simple misrepresentation of facts on a resume is passe. Lying convincingly is in.

As companies, via background searches, try to call the bluff of less-than-honest job seekers, candidates are resorting to more complex, sometimes hi-tech means to hoodwink potential employers.

Some applicants are providing employers with toll-free phone numbers, which are answered by operators of Web sites that not only offer phony academic degrees, but also "verify" a job seeker's education.

And, in an effort to put more credibility into embellishing their resume, some candidates are paying hackers to plug their names into a class list database of a university they claim to have attended.

"Candidates are allegedly breaking the law to get a particular job or promotion, and that is pretty much going to the full extent of the limit," said Scott Pustizzi, vice president at The Human Equation, Florida-based human resources consultants.

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