Verifying the degree certificate is important in today’s job market. A genuine degree shows that the candidate has the required qualifications and is trustable to do work. But, currently, the cases of fake degree certificates increasing day by day, making it tough to differentiate between the original and fake.

Fake degrees can cause serious issues, such as legal problems, and damage to the reputation of the organization. This scenario makes it essential to detect fake university degree certificates and hire only genuine people.

In this following blog, we will discuss the fake degree and fake degree examples. Consequences of fake degrees and how to check whether the degree is original or fake.

What is a Fake Degree?

A fake degree certification is a fraudulent document that falsely claims to represent an academic qualification. These degrees or certificates are created to deceive educational institutions and employers to make them believe that an individual has acquired the degree from a recognized institution.

A fake degree can be Found In Various Forms

• Forged Certificates

These are fabricated documents designed to look like real degrees from authorized universities.

• Degrees from Unaccredited Institutions

Documents claiming to be from institutions that do not have real existence or are not officially recognized by educational authorities.

• Altered Degrees

Altered degrees refer to making changes to the original degree of the recognized university.

Creating and using Fake Degree Certificates is illegal. It undermines trust in the professional world. That makes it essential for organizations to detect fake degrees and hire genuine people.

High-Profile Case of Fake Degree Scandals (2024) That You Should Know

Om Prakash Jogender Singh (OPJS) University in Rajasthan is involved in a major scandal of issuing fake degrees. The university illegally issued more than 43,000 degrees across 19 Indian states and Nepal. This case highlights academic fraud that hurts education and employment.

Degree fraud raised the concern about whether the degrees mentioned in the CVs are real or fake. 

Overview of Fake Degree Scandal OPJS University

OPJS came under the limelight after the police special operation group found that fake degree certificates were applied for the PTI instructor exam. The police team found it during a routine check on April 8, 2024.

During the Investigation police discovered that OPJS University of Rajasthan is providing fake degrees. They have found that 1,300 degrees of Physical Training Instructors are forged who have applied for the exam.

The investigation showed that OPJS University was issuing backdated fake degree certificates. This university-issued degrees not only in the Rajasthan but in other states and Nepal.

University Owner Jogender Singh Dala, Sarita Karwsara (former chairperson), and Jitendra Yadav (former registrar) have been arrested. Middleman helped in the distribution of fake degrees across state and international borders.

A glimpse of the fake degrees issued by OPJS College.

• Engineering: 8000+  fake degrees
• Medical: 6,000+ Degrees
• Arts and Pharmacy: 5000+ degrees in Arts and 3000+ degrees in Pharmacy
• Education: 7000+ degrees.

After looking at the number of fake university degree certificates, we can predict how many non-eligible and non-competent people are working healthcare sector. They are playing with the lives of people.

State Government’s Actions in Response to the Fake Degree Scandal

After getting the shocking report of fake degree certificates from the Special Operations Group Report, the Rajasthan State Higher Education Department took steps to suspend all new admissions at OPJS University. They also mandated Background Verifications for all educational institution employees.

The DIG (Deputy Inspector General) mentioned that 43000+ degree certificates issued by OPJS University will be checked thoroughly. Whether all of them are fake, this process will involve the proper verification of fee payments and admission of the candidates.

The DOP (Department Of Personnel) issued a directive on June 6. It stated that all Rajasthan government departments to Verify the degree of employees who have been appointed in the last 5 years. According to the official, this verification measure ensures government employees have legitimate degrees and qualifications they claim.

Existing Employees Degree Verification

After hearing of this massive fake degree Scandal, organizations are now focusing on verifying the academic credentials of current employees. This verification process includes fake degree verification services to check and confirm the authenticity of staff qualifications.

In response to the scandal, the Rajasthan Government has decided to review the hiring process for 3 lakh employees who were appointed over the last five years. This decision was taken by Bhajan Lal Sharma, after the discovery of a fake certificate used for getting a government job.

Consequences of Fake University Degree Certificate

A fake degree is illegal and can have many consequences such as

• On Government Vacancies: The fake degree scandal is a bigger issue than it seems in the case of government jobs. Many individuals with fake qualifications have secured positions across the government sector. It raises questions about merit-based hiring systems.
• Devaluation of Education: If a fake degree holder gets a better chance than the candidate having a legitimate degree, it will devalue the education. It is not good the students who have worked hard to acquire a medical degree or any other stream.
• Employment Challenges: An increase in the number of fake degrees will make it difficult for candidates to get jobs due to the high number of applications for the same post.
• Dangerous In Healthcare: A fake medical degree holder is dangerous to the patient’s safety and reduces the quality of services. It reduces the loss of trust in healthcare.  

How To Check Degree Certificate Is Original or Fake?

Fake degrees are prepared in a way that they look similar to the original one. It is not easy to detect them but still, some signs help spot a fake degree certificate.

• Inconsistency in format
• Absence of Contact Details
• Low-Quality Printing
• Check the logo and Name

To verify the authenticity 

• Check the issuing accreditation of the University, it will help verify whether the university is registered or not.
• Use Third Party Verification Services like degree verification APIs to check the legitimacy of the degree.
• Contact the university registrar to confirm the legitimacy of the degree contact the record office or the registrar.

These are some methods of detecting fake degrees if you find out a university is providing a fake degree. You should file a fake degree certificate complaint at the nearest police station.

How Surepass Helps In Detecting Fake Degrees?

Surepass is a reputed Identity verification and document verification API provider. It offers the best degree verification and marksheet verification API. It provides a 100% accurate database that helps check the authenticity of the degree in real time. 

HR firms, exam authorities and other organizations can use Surepass API for identity verification. If you want to stay away from Document fraud utilizing Surepass APIs is the best to add to your workflow.

Conclusion

It is important to check the legitimacy of the degree and certificate with so many fake degrees and certificates. It is a must-do step for the organization if it wants to avoid legal issues and reputational damage.

The OPJS University fake degree scandal highlights the value of degree and certificate verification. This only devalues education but is also risky for the healthcare and education sectors. Think how unqualified medical professionals damage patients’ health.

If you want to protect your organization, using verification services helps to detect fake degree certificates. For example, Surepass helps check the degree accurately in real-time.

By staying alert and using the right tools, you can ensure that you hire qualified people and keep your organization’s hiring process trustworthy.