Ask HN: Do you call the references or past employers of candidates?

I always check the references of candidates, but I almost always ignore the answers because the candidates list their friends as references. The reason I still check is that occasional moment when a candidate forgets to check their own references and I get an earful (my favorite was when I reached the wife instead of the husband and found out the candidate was having an affair).

Frankly, I don't think anyone's checked my references, either personal or work, in years. How many of you still do this?