The cost of surviving in this world continues to grow, in part due to price gouging and inflation. The need for money causes desperation among some and fuels greed in others. Verifying the credentials on your applicants’ resumes is vital to protecting your company.
Counterfeit institutions appear online daily, feeding the greed machine and making victims of uneducated individuals seeking to better their lives. For example, an individual out of Connecticut is facing major charges for several online fraudulent degree sites. These sites required no coursework, only a fee. In exchange, a “diploma” or “degree” would be provided.
People who seek to deceive aim to be in top-tier-paying positions. For example, a woman out of Pennsylvania made partner at a law firm who forged her degree, bar exam, and license. If the law firm had verified the credentials, they could have avoided this hiring disaster. This person went on to represent over thirty different clients and will forever leave a blemish on their firm.
Fraudulent resumes also allow people to work their way into state positions. A woman from New York lied on her resume and was selected over other qualified applicants to work for the state despite holding no degrees.
In our experience, we frequently see applicants indicate on their resumes that they have degrees but only attended a college and did not receive a degree. A politician recently claimed to hold a degree when, in reality, they only attended a college.
A man out of California claimed to be a psychologist, using fraudulent degrees while having none. He used the money to buy several cars with vanity plates, which had vanity plates to push his façade. “DRPYSCH” was one of them.
A woman has made a career out of jumping from state to state as a registered nurse. She is wanted for skipping trials, has zero formal training, and has no licenses.
These scandals happen not only online but in towns, too. Harris County, Texas, found out that even high-ranking officials can be bought with bribes. Several people, including an assistant principal, orchestrated a scheme, issuing over 200 teaching certificates. These certificates and a lack of verifications and background checks allowed two known sexual predators to have direct access to children.
Online sites such as this one allow the public to create transcripts. The website owner is not liable because of the waiver signed to create one. These may seem legitimate to someone not used to reviewing them, but critical points stand out in both transcripts and diplomas. Here are a few examples of details often overlooked but are giveaways:
- There may be a signature, but an official title and a clear version of the name is not provided.
- There may be a signature, but the document does not contain the name of an actual educational institution.
- The diploma or degree may be legitimate, but the name has been replaced with a font that does not match the font on the rest of the document.
Research Services verifies all institutions are accredited before we attempt to verify a degree or diploma. This expedites the discovery of any possible diploma mills. Diploma mills exploit individuals lacking formal qualifications who are striving for self-improvement. Some go as far as to send them coursework, but the diploma is invalid because they are not accredited. Unfortunately, we have had to break this bad news to many applicants and clients. Once we confirm the verification is accredited, we go directly to the source to confirm their records. There are times when applicants are confused and believe they received a diploma through a high school because they physically attended adult education classes. The diploma is obtained through the adult education program, not high school. We always go the extra mile to check with the adult education program or GED department if a high school has no student record.
Don’t allow your company to make the next headline due to fraudulent resumes. Protect your company and the public who benefit from it and do your due diligence. Contact us today to allow us to help you hire your applicants who are who they say they are and avoid hiring liars, embellishers, or those who fall victim to diploma mills.
- Contact: Heather F.D.
- Title: Assistant Manager
- Email: heatherfd@rs4b.net
