Faking Work with Dummy Keyboards, Many Bank Employees Sacked

An incident involving several employees pretending to work using ‘fake’ keyboards was uncovered recently. This ruse was discovered at the US-based bank, Wells Fargo. The company showed no mercy and immediately sacked dozens of bank employees who employed this method. ‘After reviewing allegations involving the simulation of keyboard activity that created the impression of active work,’ the company stated in its submission to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) regarding the reasons for the dismissals, as reported by Quartz on Wednesday (1/4/2026). A Wells Fargo spokesperson explained that the bank could not tolerate such behaviour. ‘Wells Fargo holds its employees to high standards and does not tolerate unethical conduct,’ the spokesperson said. The pretence of working involved the use of fake keyboard devices. Known as mouse jigglers, these devices make the mouse appear to move and keep the computer awake. Those using these devices also prevented their computers from entering sleep mode, even when not in use. It turns out that devices similar to mouse jigglers are widely available on the market. In fact, such products became very popular among workers worldwide during the Covid-19 pandemic for remote work. This is because the devices allow employees to fake work without direct supervision from bosses, as would occur in an office setting. On several occasions, the remote working system, known as work from home (WFH), has sparked debate. Many are concerned about the engagement of employees working from home. The State of the Global Workplace report from Gallup reveals similar findings. The report notes that 62% of workers worldwide are not engaged in their jobs. As many as 15% are actively disengaged. They describe having a bad manager or job and are actively seeking new opportunities.