One of the documents I use to do my job ("stare drooling at monitors akimbo for eight hours a day") is called the Verification Form, which I affectionately call the "Employment Verification Form". As the name, and specifically my little nickname for it, suggests, the Verification Form is where the collation of the employment verification data for the applicant or applicants of a given loan. Usually this involves calling the applicant's employer as listed on the loan application and, well, verifying the applicant's claims. So, on the Verification Form there is a little box entitled "Spoke With", in which the verifier identifies the point of contact in the verification. I've posted a couple of pictures of these.

Lately, on a small number of occasions, I've encountered Verification Forms in which the verifying source was: the credit application. Basically, the verifier is saying, "Enh, I'll just take his word for it." This is a terrible idea, and the reason it is a terrible idea is because there are lots of people like me out there who are dangerously clever. The only occupation I can see which isn't necessary to verify is basically a stay-at-home spouse. If they're lying about that... um, well, then they're actually out there *making* money, which should actually improve their chances of getting a loan. (As an aside, sometimes people list their occupation as "domestic engineer" instead of "stay at home mom" or "house husband". They think this is cute. It isn't. If you ever list your occupation as "domestic engineer" and you are actually a stay-at-home spouse, and I find out, I will hurt you. Now that's a guarantee my competitors aren't willing to give!)

I can just see some wily applicant taking advantage of this, though it would probably rely on some luck as well. And solid acting skills. For example:

APPLICANT: "Yeah, so, I have an income of a million dollars a month. See, I'm the king of the moon. I own Earth Satellite Corporation. Also I own seventeen yachts, three of which are space yachts. And that building! (Applicant points to a building visible through a nearby window.)

DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE (looking through the window): "Which one?"

APPLICANT: "The tall one. With the spire."

DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE: "Um, sir, that's the Empire State Building."

But one could put some insane stuff down on one's credit application, and if the verifier decided to just use the credit application itself for verification... well, let's just say that Mr. King Of The Moon would soon be cruising down the highway in his brand new, oh, I don't know, Ford Taurus.

Also that gives me an idea for a sitcom for a guy from the moon whose surname is King. It would be entitled "King Of The Moon". Hooray!