Published Date: 31 October, 2017
Last updated on: 28 April, 2023
The DataFlow Group has been observing an increased number of cases where international students and academic staff attempt to misrepresent or forge their documents in order to unrightfully attain admission to higher education or immigration status whether for studying or working abroad. Based on this trend, we encourage education institutions throughout the United Kingdom to verify the academic, professional, personal and legal credentials of potential candidates – especially overseas applicants – in order to avoid the unnecessary repercussions resulting from document forgery.
Case Study: Misrepresented Information
A professional applying for employment with a DataFlow Group partner submitted their credentials for verification. The presented documents listed that the applicant is currently a Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the United Kingdom. Following extensive investigation and research, the DataFlow Group found that despite having been formally admitted to the Membership on 31 May, 1996, the applicant had been removed from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists register and is no longer entitled to use the designation of Member – contrary to the claim stated in the credentials submitted.
Upon confirming this seemingly harmless misrepresentation of facts through Primary Source Verification (PSV), the DataFlow Group promptly issued a ‘Negative’ report and the application was rejected.
The rate of global document forgery stands at 3.35% as of October 2017 (The DataFlow Group, 2017)
For institutions and organizations, weeding out such cases without specialized assistance is a complex task, which is precisely where the implementation of a robust, advanced and accurate evaluation and screening process – specifically PSV – becomes imperative.
