An investigation by BBC Radio 4\u2019s File On Four show has found that thousands of people in the UK had bought fake degree certificates from a so-called \u2018diploma mill\u2019 operating out of Pakistan. The universities named on the certificates don\u2019t exist, and worryingly, it\u2019s thought that around 3,000 bonus qualifications could be being used \u2013 even within the NHS.<\/p>\n
Former FBI agent Allen Ezell, who has investigated businesses that sell fake qualification certificates, commented, \u2018Employers are not doing their due diligence in checking out the papers, so it makes it work. It\u2019s the damnedest thing we\u2019ve ever seen\u2019.<\/p>\n
Using a fake certificate to apply for a job could be classed as fraud by misrepresentation, and it\u2019s a crime that could carry a ten-year prison sentence.<\/p>\n
The potential issues here for employers are very clear, and also very scary. You may well be receiving applications for your advertised roles from people who have exaggerated, or explicitly lied, about their credentials and suitability for the job. Recruiting the wrong person can be extremely costly, and there are some potentially dire consequences further down the line.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the onus is on you as the business leader to make sure that you\u2019re doing the right checks. Yes, it could be time consuming. It could briefly tie up resources that you\u2019d rather be deploying in other areas, and it may well be the case that the vast majority of your applicants are being completely honest about their suitability for the job. Still though, it\u2019s something that you absolutely can\u2019t afford to overlook.<\/p>\n
If you know that you\u2019re not fulfilling your obligations, you\u2019re definitely not alone. In fact, you\u2019re in the majority. Chief executive of Higher Education Degree Datacheck, Jayne Rowley, estimated that only a fifth of employers conducted proper checks on applicants\u2019 qualifications.<\/p>\n
The good news here is that it\u2019s relatively simple and straightforward to make your processes more robust, and completely sidestep many of the associated risks that come with neglecting to carry out the right checks.<\/p>\n
If your procedures need a health check, get in touch today to book your initial no-obligation consultation. We can assess what you\u2019re doing right, where there\u2019s room for improvement, and the points that need to be actioned right away to protect your business.<\/p>\n
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An investigation by BBC Radio 4\u2019s File On Four show has found that thousands of people in the UK had bought fake degree certificates from a so-called \u2018diploma mill\u2019 operating out of Pakistan. The universities named on the certificates don\u2019t exist, and worryingly, it\u2019s thought that around 3,000 bonus qualifications could be being used \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":896,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[11],"yoast_head":"\n