For some individuals, purchasing status through a fake degree can provide a sense of achievement and fulfillment. It can also empower them to pursue their dreams with greater confidence and determination.
However, fake credentials can damage the credibility of an institution and create skepticism in the minds of employers and other stakeholders.
Credential Fraud
With the high cost of postsecondary education and competitive job markets fuelling fraud, fake credentials are a multibillion-dollar industry worldwide. From diploma mills that churn out bogus degrees to individuals buying fake academic qualifications to get ahead in their career, these counterfeit documents can have serious consequences for businesses and organizations.
The exploitation of fraudulent credentials is widespread and affects all industries. It can lead to unqualified healthcare workers performing services that could jeopardize patient safety, https://lambangnhanh.com/ undermine the credibility of law enforcement, and erode trust in higher education. It also devalues legitimate scholarly achievement and threatens the integrity of professional bodies.
In this blog post, we’ll explore what you need to know about credential fraud and how best practices can help you prevent it. We’ll also share some tips on how you can spot bogus qualifications during the hiring process, including conducting thorough background checks and verifying claims about work experience through direct contact with references.
The New York Times exposé on Axact, a Pakistani company that earned millions selling fake university degrees, is a reminder that credential fraud remains a major problem around the world. This is especially true in higher education, where diploma mills have become increasingly commonplace. This is due to factors such as bribery of admissions officials, fraud in athletics, contract cheating, suspect marketing, and more.
Degree Verification
If you’re looking for a new hire, or a candidate for a leadership position, educational credentials matter. However, many applicants falsify their degrees on resumes or job applications in an attempt to make themselves appear more qualified than they really are. Degree verifications allow employers to quickly identify false claims about the schools attended and degrees earned so they can make more informed hiring decisions.
Education verifications can be conducted by calling the registrar at an applicant’s claimed school. Most registrars will verify dates of attendance, major, and degrees conferred upon request. If the registrar allows it, they can also provide a certified transcript of an applicant’s academic record.
If a registrar doesn’t have an answer for a particular question, or doesn’t allow for the verification of specific data points, this is a red flag. It could indicate that the institution is a diploma mill and that their records have not been properly updated or maintained by the university. This can also be a sign that the institution is not accredited or that the registrar does not authorize third parties to request educational verifications. It’s a good idea to contact an educational background screening company like iprospectcheck and ask them to check for this type of data on your candidates. It will save you time and help ensure that you are working with reliable data.
Diploma Mills
Diploma mills are bogus “colleges” that dispense degrees to unwitting students for a fee. Some blatantly copy the names of real universities and use authentic-looking transcripts, while others dispense degrees after minimal or no academic work. In many cases, credit is awarded based on life experience or esoteric subjects that are difficult to verify (think: an MBA from a college with a degree in astrology or naturopathy).
Legitimate accreditation is an important safeguard against fraud, but it’s not foolproof. Diploma mills often claim accreditation from agencies that aren’t recognized by the Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, two of the reputable organizations that oversee accreditation. In addition, these schools may also change their names and use fake website addresses to avoid being exposed by authorities.
In short, diploma mills demean the value of learning and educational standards by treating degrees as commodities to be bought and sold. Ultimately, these bogus credentials can have serious consequences in the workplace. Think of the healthcare worker whose lack of skills causes harm to a patient or the incompetent accountant who creates huge tax liabilities for the company, or the engineer whose design is a disaster.
In an age when scams and cynical manipulation are pervasive, it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re dealing with a legitimate school. Learn to recognize telltale signs of a diploma mill and protect yourself from fraudulent schools that can damage your career and the reputation of your organization.
Job Market Integrity
As a business leader, you may be concerned that fake degrees are becoming a problem in the job market. This is not only because it can allow fraudsters to be successfully placed in roles that they don’t have the knowledge for, but also because it undermines the hard work and genuine qualifications of real graduates.
Luckily, there are ways to ensure you are hiring the best possible candidate for your company. One way is to use a degree verification service. This is a service that will contact the university on your behalf to verify the student’s academic record. This will help you to spot a fraudulent or fake degree, so you can avoid hiring someone who doesn’t have the necessary skills and experience.
Another way to ensure you are hiring the right person is to ask for a copy of their certificate and check that it has the correct details. This is a quick and simple step that can help to weed out candidates with fake credentials. Look out for things like spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, as well as red flags such as the use of cod-medieval Latin terminology (i.e., ‘cum laude’).
While it can be tempting to obtain fake qualifications for status or money, you must remember that these can come back to haunt you in the future. In addition, they can create ethical dilemmas that are difficult to resolve.
