1 Degrees of Deception qualifications are better understood.

transcript

Degrees of Deception

qualifications are better understood

Session Overview

• What’s on offer

• What documents to request

• Fake Documents

• Certification Procedures

• Degree Mills

Fraud Worldwide

China: Fake documents widely available e.g. back alley press

USA: Varying state legislation means that degree mills can often freely operate

Both India and Pakistan have extensive lists of fake universities operating.

Corruption is a major problem in Russia, facilitating educational fraud

Nigeria and Cameroon suffer from an endemic traffic in fraudulent documents

Many Caribbean islands do not have full accreditation programmes particularly for medical universities

The novelty angle

Don’t waste your experiences

Keep up with the Jones’s

View before you buy

What documents to request

Documents that you should request include:

• Final Certificate

• Transcripts / Academic Records

• Diploma Supplement (Bologna degrees)

• Certified translations if the documents are not in English

• Evidence of name changes if appropriate

• Bachelor Degree Certificate - China

Degree Programme

Serial Number

Bachelor Degree

Certified copy

NamePhoto

Bachelor

What documents to request – Russia

University Stamp / Ministry of Education

Holder’s name

Institution

Dyplom

What documents to request - Pakistan

Excuses, excuses…

Country Claim Reasonable Y/N

1 India I studied in a different region to where I live. I have to collect the degree certificate in person and they can take a year or two to issue and so all I have is my provisional degree certificate.

2 Nigeria I will have to request that my university send an official transcript directly to you as they do this to stop fraud.

3 Spain It takes up to two years to gain the final degree certificate as the degrees must be signed in Madrid.

4 Ghana I do not have official WAEC results statement. The results are only available online.

YES / MAYBE

Translations

What to request:

• Certified translation

• Copy of original language documents

Words of warning:

• Has the degree title been translated into Bachelor or Master?

• Use of the word Doctor

• University, Institute, School, College and Academy

Document Appearance

• The variety of fonts used

• Lack of official stamps

• Paper quality

• Misalignment

• Size and shape

• Handwriting

• Scanned signatures

Linguistic features and other possible signs

• Informal language• Unlikely degree titles• Spelling errors• Inconsistent terminology• Incorrect translations into English

• Discordant dates and duration• Awarding bodies• Logos incorrect or in the wrong position

Is there anything strange about this certificate?

That’s not right

Signatures Scanned in

Cape of Good Hope (Hoop is Afrikaans)

If a document is original then there is no need to state it.

Crest is incorrect and misaligned

Generally there are too many fonts

Do you think this is genuine?

Some things we’ve noticed

Fraudulent Documents

Fraudulent documents

When in doubt…

• Ask for – original certificates in the original language

– previous qualifications (esp. entry qualification)

• Establish internal image bank– quick way to familiarise with the format of documents

– effective reference point

• Request transcripts/other relevant documents – in sealed envelopes

– posted to your offices directly from the institution concerned

– or contact the institution directly yourself

Degree Mills

“Diploma Mill: An Institution of Higher education operating without supervision of a state or professional agency and granting diplomas which are either fraudulent or because of the lack of proper standards worthless.”

Webster’s Third New International Dictionary

Degree Mills

The following are common features to be on the look out for:

• Strong emphasis on fee levels and payment plans. Often very low prices

• Short duration of courses – days or weeks

• Long list of accreditation agencies and affiliated bodies

• Offer to accredit life experience

• Links such as “Order Now” and “free evaluation forms” are often found at the lower end of the market

• Unlikely degree titles

• No contact address

• Contact details that differ from claimed location of the institution

The “Institution”

*As identified by the Oregon State Department of Education

AUA – The Brochure

AUA – the Reality

Accreditation

Choices open to a successful degree mill:

• Lie

• Pay Bribes

• Gain accreditation from a body that does not provide accreditation

• Invent an accreditation agency

An Accreditation Mill

Degree Mills

St Regis University – Key points

• Liberia did not have a fully functioning Ministry of Education at the time

• The Liberian Government has subsequently issued a disclaimer distancing themselves from claims of accreditation by St Regis and other universities.

• Not an accredited US institution• It is not likely that in war-torn Liberia overseas students would be

able to study

St. Regis – UK?

Fighting Fraud

• Training and awareness

• Contact the institutions

• Request as many documents as you can

• Increased security measures

• Verification systems