Firstly, to TS: Why fake anything? If you want to provide info, make sure it's true. If you have some info that's unfavourable to you, then simply don't provide. To defraud or mislead is wrong, even illegal - to omit or refuse to answer is not.

Secondly, I don't believe in providing previous salary slips to future employers. Why do they want to know how much I was paid previously? If they want to hire me to do a job that pays $10,000 market rate, will they now offer me only $7000 if my salary slip shows that I earned $5000 previously? Or will they offer me $10,000 only if my previous salary was $8000 and above? If they want $10,000 of effort and skills from me, why shouldn't they pay me $10,000 even though I was paid only $5000 previously?

As someone mentioned, what purpose does knowing the hiree's previous salary serve, apart from being an excuse to underpay him below the market rate? Isn't more important to verify that this person has the education, skills, aptitude and experience to do job?

Pay me what the job is worth, regardless of what I was paid previously. A company that sets a new employee's salary based on +xx% over what the chap's previous salary, simply shows that it has no idea what its pay positions are vs the market. A company like that is demotivating and demeaning to work for because you will often find that you're doing exactly the same quantity and quality of work as your peers but each of you draws a different salary simply because your starting salaries (fudged on each individual's previous salaries) are all over the place.

Having said that, I always indirectly inform a prospective employer what my current salary is, by telling them how much they have to potentially pay me if they want me to come for an interview. I always give a number that represents my current package + 1 promotion. That's the minimum because I don't want to waste time attending interviews at companies that won't or can't even pay me enough to attract me away from than my current employer.

Thirdly, contrary to many of you folks (it seems), I work for a company that will not disclose my confidential personal details - and that includes my remuneration details etc. HR will confirm my previous employment with them and if necessary, provide a broad job scope - but no detailed information. If they call my former boss directly, on the other hand, it will of course be up to his personal discretion what and how much to say. But it will not be corroborated officially by HR.