Forensics of Academic Credential Fraud Analysis and Detection

by Eva-Angela Adán, International Education Consultant

Introduction

 “You are never aware of how little you know until you realize how much is there to be discovered,” famous words I heard long ago but still are so resonant in my mind. They keep reminding me that even though I am not a scientist, the professional world in which I operate has been redefined by researching the obvious to investigating the questionable, the unexplainable and the unknown. It has expanded from the traditional research and analytical exercise of determining the comparability and placement of foreign academic credentials to the investigative task of a sleuth: the investigation of legitimacy.

I am thankful to my childhood readings of Sherlock Holmes, which instilled in me the curiosity of looking beyond appearances! This is what the daily task of international credentials analysts or international education professionals calls for no matter where they are in the world, balancing the act of fairly assessing legitimate academic credentials and qualifications while identifying both the obvious and the skillful deceits flooding the market today. Why and where they are coming from is not so much a mystery; but one thing is certain, keeping track of the innovative ways illegitimate documentation continues to evolve is a daunting task. For college personnel in U.S. academic institutions and for professional credential analysts the world over, the detection of fraudulent and illegitimate documents is a constant challenge and not as elementary as Holmes used to remind his long time partner Watson.

Taking into account the investigative road we have taken in this new area of academic credential analysis, a carefully designed methodology or quasi-scientific examination should be considered. This is an effective and reliable approach to analyzing and establishing the legitimacy of documents, beyond the initial reaction that something is wrong (which in many cases is the start of a long journey to uncover the truth). Such an approach allows analysts to conduct a transparent review of the elements physically identified as potentially questionable and lead to evidential confirmation of fraud and/or verification of legitimacy. This should clearly convince all involved, and especially the culprit, that the findings derived from the examination of facts are more than a mere biased opinion, and that the likely analysis of facts by others would conclude with the same results.

Main Topics

• Illegitimate Credentials: What, Where, and Why
• Fraud and Illegitimate Documentation
• Types of Fraud
• Where do I Begin?
• Where is the Clue?
• Analysis and Investigation – General Methodology
• Verification Check List
• When the Outcome is Fraud
• Helpful Procedures to Prevent Fraud