In a world where technology is evolving in every blink of an eye, fake degrees and certificates sure are a thing. And that’s because, with simple graphics design skills or knowledge, everyone can forge a fake degree certificate. Not just that, nowadays, many people are promoting fake degrees that can somehow pass through the system and land you a career opportunity, an internship, or even a job. These are the promises that are made to the buyer of a fake degree. And you might be thinking “Who falls for this, though?” Well, there are thousands of people who opt for such fake degrees every single year, so yep, it is kind of a big deal. But thankfully, there are certain methods or ways to check whether or not a degree is fake. And today’s post is all about that, so let’s get down to that right away.
The Trend Of Fake Degrees
You may have seen those online ads offering quick degrees, right? Well, with more people studying online because of COVID-19, there seem to be even more of these ads popping up. So, why should this bother you? Well, using or even just supporting these fake degrees can hurt your reputation. And did you know? In many places, showing off a fake degree can get you in big trouble, even leading to jail time. So, always be careful and go for the real deal!
Key Indicators of a Fake Degree Certificate
There are certainly a few things to consider in order to come to a conclusion about whether or not a degree is original. Let’s take a good look at these factors or methods.
- How It Looks: Some people try to trick us by using fancy designs, thinking it looks more official. But real degrees usually have special marks like raised stamps, shiny stickers, and hidden pictures. If you hold it up to the light and don’t see a shiny image, watch out because it might be fake!
- The Words They Use: Sometimes, the words on the degree can give it away. For example, some fake ones mess up Latin words. In the US, they use words like ‘cum laude’, but in the UK, they say ‘with honours’. So, if you see a UK degree with Latin words, think twice, it might not be the real deal!
- About the University: Always double-check where the degree comes from. If you haven’t heard of the university before, do a quick online search. And yeah, if a university’s address is just a PO Box or some strange location like in the middle of a busy road, that’s a straight-up red flag.
- Scannable Features: See, lots of real degrees now have those square barcode things called QR codes. If you scan them with your phone, they should give you details about the degree. It’s a cool feature, but remember, just because it’s there doesn’t mean the degree is 100% real.
How To Check If A Degree Certificate Is Original Or Fake?
Now’s the time to finally take a look at the practical steps on how to check if a degree is fake or original. Ready for that? Here we go:
- See, first of all, you can easily check out if a school is legit by using official lists like the UGC or NAD. It is just like checking a phone number in a phone book! And this should be your first approach.
- And when you are in doubt, just ask around! Maybe your friends or people you work with know about the school on the certificate. They might have heard something about it or even gone there.
- And yep, there are cool services like Qualification Check that can confirm if a degree is real for you. It’s like having a helper to make sure everything is okay! Since there are many third-party platforms for this, we’d only advise you to stick with the official ones or the government websites of your country or state.
What If You Don’t Check A Candidate Or Applicant’s Degree Certificate?
We wanna be straightforward here, overlooking fake degrees can lead to some big problems. Apart from possible safety issues, it can hurt the good name of your school, business, company, or institution. Keep in mind though, that using fake degrees isn’t just wrong, it is against the law and you can be punished for it too. And it is not always to ensure that our schools and businesses’ reputation is maintained, by doing a simple degree verification you can ensure to give opportunities to the right person with talent.
Conclusion
That should be more than enough. With this info at your fingertips, now, you are well-equipped to identify fake degree certificates pretty easily. It is possible that a fake degree is forged so well that you don’t even realize it is fake, that’s why it is important to go through all the steps or methods we have mentioned, to be 100% sure.
Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.
