Over a dozen employees of Wells Fargo were found to be using devices or tools to make it appear that they were working while they were actually away from their desks. These remote workers, who were members of Wells Fargo’s wealth and investment management team, were simulating keyboard activity so that it appeared that they were at their computers. The fact that these employees were found and terminated came to light when the financial institution filed a report with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in June. This behavior on the part of the employees was considered to be unethical by Wells Fargo, leading to their termination.
However, it is not clear how the employees were tracked or found to be absent without leave. The details were not given in the FINRA report.
Tools and software capable of taking screenshots of employees’ computers are available, which can prove whether the mouse is actually being moved by the employee or whether it is just a simulation brought about by using a device or tool for the purpose. Such tools, called mouse jigglers are easily available online and quite affordable. These tools keep the computer from going into sleep mode when not in use, which gives the impression that the employee is using the computer.
