Bluffs at job applications all the more common

It is becoming increasingly common for employers to encounter counterfeit universities or educational qualifications in the recruitment process. In the worst cases a faulty recruitment become an expensive story. An average land cost of 700,000 dollars for an employer.

– A common mistake is that employers do not check the qualifications of a candidate invoking in its application. Next, it is important to ensure that the credentials are authentic, says Cecilia Ulfsdotter, department head at the University and högskolerådet, UHR.

and how the employer can identify what is false in job applications. Today, there are mainly three types of forgeries – bluffuniversitet, individuals ' own fakes as well as internet outlets that offer a training attestations for a fee. For a few hundred dollars be sent a diploma, home to the mailbox.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, the internet outlets that offer fake receive a training certificate increased substantially. Last year, more than 30 cases of questionable utbildningsordnare submitted to UHR. The questionable players purports often to be a real university, on your own website. In fact, they sell the bluffmeriter to people who among other things has the wrong skills for a profession. A few tricks to discover bluffuniversiteten is to carefully go through the website.

– When the questionable utbildningsaktörerna markets itself heavily on the internet and in social media think maybe some people that it is common to make use of the fake educational qualifications, which is a way to try to rationalize the situation, " says Cecilia Ulfsdotter.

Cecilia Ulfsdotter, department head at the University and högskolerådet, UHR. Photo: Stefan Ekstam

no name protection for the universities in Sweden. In other words, the Swedish bluffuniversitet call for college, university, or academy without breaking any law. In Norway and Denmark, the only actual educational institutions make use of the concepts under the legislation. In comparison with Sweden, the two neighbouring countries, with significantly fewer bluffuniversitet.

In Norway, it may be easier to access questionable educational institutions, it would be interesting to at least try the same thing in Sweden, " says Cecilia Ulfsdotter.

A law of a name protection has long been discussed. Among other things, the former national Agency for higher education proposed a legislative amendment in a letter to the then government, in the year 2009. Since then, the bill lifted sporadically but without any result.

the employer report it to the police the person. Depending on the circumstances, is it possible either to invoke the false document or sign of fraud. The latter requires, however, that the employer has suffered damage in some way, which there must be evidence for. One such example is if the person is already employed.

On the University and högskolerådet the notification of every case of fuskbetyg or bluffuniversitet that pops up. In 2017, the authority received a record number of cases that dealt with questionable training providers or falsified credentials. Neither before or afterwards the authority has received so many cases. However, there may be more because this is only cases that have been submitted to UHR.

Now, the agency disseminating the brochure to both universities and employers. The brochure is out on the website as a PDF and you can download.

"We want to make the employer aware that there are people who are willing to pay for forged documents," said Cecilia Ulfsdotter.