The Malaysian Insight

SOME 30 to 40 professionals are weeded out each month for using fake degrees when applying for jobs, said a company which carries out screening and verification of jobseekers in the public and private sectors.

Verity Intelligence Sdn Bhd’s Mark Leow said it has carried out screening on about 100,000 professionals over a period of two years and discovered an average of 30 to 40 cases of certificate fraud every month.

Some of the fraudsters include doctors and engineers.

And it is not just a case of fake degrees.

Leow said last year, it uncovered 400 cases of fake diplomas and certificates as well.

Some of the “victims” of this fraud are the medical sector, banking, security companies, petrochemical firms and some government-linked companies (GLCs), he said.

“Fake degree is a serious issue. The most popular case we encountered involved a woman doctor who was in employment in a private hospital.

“She claimed to be a graduate from an Irish university but in fact, she had not completed her studies,” Leow told The Malaysian Insight.

The woman was arrested in Ireland and in the United States for using her fake academic papers before returning to Malaysia to work.

“After we had screened her, the hospital ordered her to resign.”

Verity Intelligence was established in 2010 and is a leading player in its field.

Based on its published records, 70% of the cheating cases involve fake degrees from local educational institutes.

The most popular degrees are from Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

“The university managements are aware of this situation,” said Leow.

Last February, The Malaysian Insight reported that fake degrees could be bought online for as low as RM12,000.

The syndicate behind this fraud is also said to have inside help from the local institutions.

Why cheat?

Leow gave three reasons people cheat about their academic certificates.

The first, he said, is due to the difficulties landing a job in critical areas, such as the medical sector or the engineering field.

Second, the low level of awareness among the employers that they can actually do background checks on their potential employees.

And third, it is due to the technological advancements, which has made printing fake certificates much easier and cheaper.

“Today’s technology makes fake certificates look as good as the original ones. It is difficult to tell them apart.

“But if employers want us to do the verification, we are ready to do it by following the procedure, including by approaching the issuing universities,” said Leow.

Each check and verification costs about RM100 to RM500, depending on the type of verification and the risks involved.

Leow added that the situation is dire as these fake certificates are available at affordable prices online.

Apart from fake certificates, many Malaysians are also guilty of faking their personal and reference details in their resumes, said Leow.

“My staff are already aware of these fraudsters as their details are regularly sent for screening.” – November 28, 2019.