How to spot qualification fraud

Half of UK employers have been a victim of degree fraud, but many could be affected by bogus qualifications as fraudsters come up with alternative ways to make money

During the pandemic, many lost their jobs and struggled to find work as employers reduced their recruitment activities. Criminals took advantage of this by offering fake qualifications to those seeking work in industries still operating during lockdown, such as construction.1

However, qualification fraud isn't limited to this industry, and any employer can become a victim. Not all qualifications are regulated and some medical professions, such as psychotherapist and beautician, aren't protected by law, meaning there's no legal restrictions or regulations for training and qualifications. Alongside this, certain regulatory standards are largely opt-in and only high-risk sectors are obligated to regulate. Fraudsters have been keen to exploit this by offering a range of ways to purchase false qualifications.

What is qualification fraud?

Qualification fraud can be defined in three ways:

• Unregulated courses - advertising and teaching of unaccredited courses and certificates.
• Certificate conversion - teaching quick courses in order to convert to a degree in another country for an additional fee.
• 'Home base' scam - fraudsters advertise their courses in other countries as having 'UK approval'.

False qualifications don't just undermine the value of education, they also put businesses and their services at risk when an employee is unqualified to carry out their job. It is therefore important that candidates' qualifications aren't taken at face value. A degree is genuine if it has been awarded in accordance with the Education Reform Act 1988, but counterfeits can be indistinguishable from the real thing so it's best to verify with a service such as Hedd, the UK's official degree verification hub.

Qualification fraud can be more tricky to spot as the criteria for professional, technical, and vocational qualifications is looser. Anyone can set up their own award-providing institution, and fraudsters are using this opportunity to make quick money at the expense of students and employers. Some signs that a qualification isn't genuine include:

• Claiming UKRLP/Companies House registration as 'UK government accreditation'.
• Citing accreditation from agencies that either do not exist or have been set up by the provider themselves.
• Using credentials from bogus universities as proof of teaching ability or experience.
• Operating internationally but using branding or identity of one particular country (usually the UK).
• Association with known bogus universities.

Combatting qualification fraud

Adam Crosbie, qualification fraud policy officer at Prospects/Jisc says, 'Jisc is leading the fight on qualification fraud, including working with our partners in the sector to implement change. New legislation has also been passed by the government in the form of the Regulated Qualifications Bill, which ensures that certain industries will require workers to have qualifications from accredited institutions.

'As spotting qualification fraud is not as easy as spotting degree fraud, there are certain things to do to keep yourself safe. Firstly, you can check the Ofqual/ UKRLP register to check whether the qualification or organisation itself is regulated against a quality framework. Secondly, you can contact sector bodies for the relevant industry to see if they recommend accepting the qualification based on the quality of the credentials.

'Lastly, if you have any questions or would like to know more, you can always contact us at heddhelp@prospects.ac.uk - we will try our best to answer your query or point you in the right direction.'

Notes

1. Qualification fraud in construction, Luminate, 2022.

Written by

Laura Greaves

Information analyst

Prospects