The rise of fraudulent degrees
I sit shell-shocked as I pen down this blog. During an off-the-cuff conversation with a friend, I learned she was intending to pursue a B.Ed. (Bachelor of Education). Curious, I inquired further and, in due course, learned that the B.Ed. would be pursued from the comfort of her home. The catch was that this was a full-time course from a university based in another state. I was taken aback. I have heard of such frauds and seen them regularly in terms of data and statistics in our company, since that's what we do—sieve the charlatans. However, someone known to me indulging in such an unlawful course of action left me bewildered.
Understanding the fraudulent education racket
I decided to take advantage of the situation to 'educate' myself on the tricks these 'Masters in Fraud and Deceit' undertake. So, I probed and delved deeper into this unlawful racket. It was shocking to learn that to acquire these degrees from reputed universities, you have to pay a premium way beyond the regular fees. The attendance is taken care of; as you sit in your cozy homes idling away time, your attendance is being marked all the way in another state, day after day. At the end of each semester, you just have to go and write an exam, which is pretty much rigged. Irrespective of how you perform, you will be awarded a first-class degree at the end of the course. Apparently, it's part of the package! You shall then be awarded a degree, in this case, a B.Ed., and go and join some school, where you shall be given the responsibility of teaching children. In other cases, you might work in the corporate sector or some other work setting, depending on the degree you've acquired.
The implications of fake degrees
That was not the end of my inquisitiveness. I further probed: what if the employing organization conducted a background verification check and the degree came under the scanner? I learned that potential candidates feel it's only the blue-chip companies that invest in background verification services, while mid to small-level organizations don't undertake them. This is sheer ignorance on the part of the candidate in question. Now, let's fast forward a tad bit. This candidate might, in the future, be teaching your child at school, college, or university. Candidates such as these may be your potential employee dealing with sensitive data, making important deals, or in a client-facing profile. Candidates like these are employed in hospitals, police stations, and law firms—every place where a degree can be fabricated.
The scale of the problem in India
The problem is amplified by an increasing number of bogus institutions operating pan-India and having networks in reputed universities and institutions. It's never been easier to fake a professional-looking degree or to obtain one on the internet. India has the disreputable label of being the center of the highest number of cases of employment-related inconsistencies, with education being a major chunk of the pie. What makes it easy for deceivers is that, as per a rough estimate, there are about 2,500 fake universities and 7,500 fake companies in existence in India. What is alarming is that not only bogus universities but reputed institutes are involved in this sham of issuing forged certificates. While Uttar Pradesh tops the list of bogus universities operating in the state, Karnataka has recorded the highest number of employment background inconsistency cases.
Combating degree fraud
The only way to combat this menace and sieve out these fraudsters is to engage a professional background verification vendor to carry out a full spectrum of verification services for you. Detection is the deterrent for organizations in combating degree frauds. Combat the rise of 'Masters in Fraud and Deceit' with our foolproof background verification services.
I sit shell-shocked as I pen down this blog. During an off-the-cuff conversation with a friend, I learned she was intending to pursue a B.Ed. (Bachelor of Education). Curious, I inquired further and, in due course, learned that the B.Ed. would be pursued from the comfort of her home. The catch was that this was a full-time course from a university based in another state. I was taken aback. I have heard of such frauds and seen them regularly in terms of data and statistics in our company, since that's what we do—sieve the charlatans. However, someone known to me indulging in such an unlawful course of action left me bewildered.
Understanding the fraudulent education racket
I decided to take advantage of the situation to 'educate' myself on the tricks these 'Masters in Fraud and Deceit' undertake. So, I probed and delved deeper into this unlawful racket. It was shocking to learn that to acquire these degrees from reputed universities, you have to pay a premium way beyond the regular fees. The attendance is taken care of; as you sit in your cozy homes idling away time, your attendance is being marked all the way in another state, day after day. At the end of each semester, you just have to go and write an exam, which is pretty much rigged. Irrespective of how you perform, you will be awarded a first-class degree at the end of the course. Apparently, it's part of the package! You shall then be awarded a degree, in this case, a B.Ed., and go and join some school, where you shall be given the responsibility of teaching children. In other cases, you might work in the corporate sector or some other work setting, depending on the degree you've acquired.
The implications of fake degrees
That was not the end of my inquisitiveness. I further probed: what if the employing organization conducted a background verification check and the degree came under the scanner? I learned that potential candidates feel it's only the blue-chip companies that invest in background verification services, while mid to small-level organizations don't undertake them. This is sheer ignorance on the part of the candidate in question. Now, let's fast forward a tad bit. This candidate might, in the future, be teaching your child at school, college, or university. Candidates such as these may be your potential employee dealing with sensitive data, making important deals, or in a client-facing profile. Candidates like these are employed in hospitals, police stations, and law firms—every place where a degree can be fabricated.
The scale of the problem in India
The problem is amplified by an increasing number of bogus institutions operating pan-India and having networks in reputed universities and institutions. It's never been easier to fake a professional-looking degree or to obtain one on the internet. India has the disreputable label of being the center of the highest number of cases of employment-related inconsistencies, with education being a major chunk of the pie. What makes it easy for deceivers is that, as per a rough estimate, there are about 2,500 fake universities and 7,500 fake companies in existence in India. What is alarming is that not only bogus universities but reputed institutes are involved in this sham of issuing forged certificates. While Uttar Pradesh tops the list of bogus universities operating in the state, Karnataka has recorded the highest number of employment background inconsistency cases.
Combating degree fraud
The only way to combat this menace and sieve out these fraudsters is to engage a professional background verification vendor to carry out a full spectrum of verification services for you. Detection is the deterrent for organizations in combating degree frauds. Combat the rise of 'Masters in Fraud and Deceit' with our foolproof background verification services.