Some companies are very laid back. It really depends on the size/strictness of the company, and what security is needed in the role. In your particular role, I would have thought that they'd check your references. You might find that they still will - might just be a bit slow doing it.
One company I worked for, only checked their references for staff when they were trying for accreditation for an operatiing standard (can't remember the name of it). I'd been working for them for approx 3 months already. But all members of staff were checked, some had been there for years. I'd left my previous job unhappily (I'd very stupidly had an affair with my boss, and things ended very messily). He gave me a rotten reference (most unfair) but, luckily for me, the short time I'd been at my new employer, I'd worked very hard and more than proved myself. My new boss had a chat with me, and on discovering what had happened, chose to ignore the refence.
In more recent years, I worked part-time at Whittards for a short period of time, handling cash and sometimes cashing and closing up (on my own) but my ref's were never checked.
Having said that, it would be an enormous risk to supply fake ref's as you never know if they'd be followed up or not.. But I bet a lot do!
Hopefully, things will work out for you : )