How Big Is the Fake-Degree Problem?
Recurring UGC lists of fake universities, periodic busts of marksheet factories and steady discrepancy rates in employment screening tell one story: fraudulent qualifications are an industry with customers at every level, entry hires, mid-career switchers padding for a jump and occasionally executives whose entire academic history is fiction. The forgeries are often visually perfect; only the source knows the truth.
What Does Real Verification Involve?
Institution-level authentication, document by document:
- Confirmation with the university's verification cell (enrolment, program, completion year
- Institution legitimacy screening against fake-university and unaccredited lists
- Certificate-level checks) seal, format and serial validity where registries exist
- International credentials verified through home-country channels and partners
Why Do Database Shortcuts Miss Fraud?
Aggregator databases cover a fraction of institutions and lag years behind; a candidate from an unlisted college is unverifiable there, and a forged certificate from a listed one may still pass a name-match. Source verification is slower by days, and right by an order of magnitude. For roles where qualification matters, there is no substitute.