The past few decades has seen a large increase in the number colleges across the United States graduating new students into the workforce. But what if many of the people claiming that they graduating from college are really just using forged documents? Forged degrees have been showing up more often in recent years. So, if you run a business that requires people to have achieved a college degree, how do you tell if someone actually has that degree?
First and foremost, among the red flags you can look for is to check whether the institution on the degree or credentials even exists or has the accreditation possible to give the degree. If it does, make sure it also offers the degree that is in question. You can find this information through a number of databases. Look up the college name and city on search engines and the results should be an indicator if it is real.
If that information is accurate and correct, then you should check the degree more closely. The first thing to pay attention to on the document is any misspellings, incorrect identities, and whether the signature is actually an inked signature.
Further investigation will require some experience and knowledge. Is there an official seal or stamp on the degree or document? Is the paper quality poor? Does the degree seem mis-aligned? These are all important things to check. Perhaps you can suspect a forgery if the answers to your investigation are questionable. Finally, you need to look over the language used in the document. If it has an informal feel to it, or grammar and spelling are off then you could have a forged document.
These are all simple things to look over, and they could save you in the long run if a college degree is a crucial aspect of your employment requirements. You do not want to find yourself hiring an unvetted employee, especially one with fake credentials. If you want an expert opinion, a forensic document examiner can verify your suspicions.