Bogus Diplomas, Fake Institutions

Diploma mills have popped up all over the internet and their prevalence is becoming more widely known. But just like loopholes in drug testing, diploma mills have become better and better at going undetected to even the most astute eye.

Alan Contreras of the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization estimates there are nearly 700 diploma mill companies or organizations that operate in the US and nearly 3,000 worldwide. "All these degree mills issue thousands of bogus degrees every year...so there are tens of thousands of people out there who are using bogus degrees." (HR Magazine, Sept, 08).

It is important for employers to understand that even the most polished looking credentials can be fraudulent, and that there are tools available to detect them. Liberty uses clues to help spot questionable credentials on resume or application, including spotting out-of-sequence degrees, degrees earned in a short period of time, and the sneaky trick of institutions that sound like the real deal using a similar name the well-known variety.

Hiring the wrong person with the wrong credentials for a job can be very costly and time consuming so it's important not to gloss over the steps needed to take a candidate seriously, and that includes verifying their education claims with a tooth-comb and ensuring the institution is legitimate.