Diploma Mills Create a Hazard for Hapless Employers

When you consider all of the hard work that goes into a genuine degree, it is infuriating to know that there are diploma mills all over the Internet. For just a few dollars, an applicant can produce impressive credentials for the job––maybe even your opening.

Fake degrees constitute a multimillion dollar industry. Even a cursory Google search shows purveyors offering any documents desired. In a background check, the challenge is to make sure that the credentials claimed undoubtedly are authentic.

Without genuine credentials, an unqualified applicant could be hired, work incompetently or fraudulently, and expose the hiring company to liability. Let’s face it, a real education provides the background an employer is looking for in the first place. More importantly, a real education forms the basis of the sort of ethical and professional competence desired.

Otherwise, your business may be exposed to legal liability issues when incensed customers file suit. In such unhappy instances, opposing counsel inevitably finds out about that diploma mill degree. Naturally, prevention is the better option. Screen prospective employees carefully and verify their educational claims.

Some diploma mills content themselves with issuing credentials from non-existent schools. Others add another layer of complexity by creating bogus accrediting bodies. See this recent incredible story out of Connecticut. More traditional diploma mills simply create fake transcripts from existing universities. In any case, an effective background check will ascertain the truth.

In a twisted way, one might admire the audacity of the person obtaining a “degree” for less than $500 total. Unfortunately, such audacity rarely works in favor of the unfortunate company that takes on a dishonest candidate. In your hiring decision, wouldn’t you want some reassurance that the candidate actually even attended college?

To discuss this or anything else, please contact us. We would be delighted to hear from you.