BEDFORD, England: Employers need to carefully check that unfamiliar credentials are not fake degrees. That is the clear conclusion of a new case study released by Verifile. Verifile, a UK-based background screening company, maintains Accredibase, a unique, comprehensive global database of diploma mills. The case study shows fake degrees are a real problem for employers including those in the highly regulated financial services industry.

In two recent investigations, Verifile background screening team successfully used Accredibase to identify two applicants for executive positions who listed fake degrees on their CVs. An applicant to a financial institution, for example, listed a degree from Rochelle University. At least three US states do not recognize the legitimacy of Rochelle University degrees. In another case, an IT opening at a mortgage finance firm drew an application from a candidate claiming to hold a degree from the University of Northwest. That school has been blacklisted in four US states, including Texas.

"Regardless of whether or not having a degree is essential for the job itself, it is an issue of honesty, integrity and trust. If someone has knowingly set out to deceive by listing a fake degree, they may not stop there and the potential risk to unsuspecting employers is huge," said Eyal Ben Cohen, Managing Director of Verifile.

Background screening is essential, not only because fake degrees can indicate an applicant is not trustworthy, but because companies can pay a heavy reputational and financial cost if they fail to spot an employee with a phony diploma. Verifile points to a recent case where EDS was forced to pay their partner BSkyB 700 million pounds Sterling when it was proved in court that an EDS employee lied about his MBA. At trial, an opposing lawyer purchased the very same fake degree online for his very smart dog, Lulu.

About Verifile Limited

Verifile is Europe's leading background screening company. Its comprehensive range of services allows employers to verify employment, qualifications, identity, criminal records and credit histories globally. This is offered through quick, easy to use, affordable and innovative solutions. Verifile services are used by clients around the world, in a wide variety of sectors, with over 30% of checks conducted outside the UK. Download the complete case study at www.accredibase.com/report. Visit http://www.verifile.co.uk/.

About Accredibase

Accredibase, the first resource of its kind, is designed to help professionals involved in education verification weed out fake degrees from bogus universities, colleges and high schools. It offers constantly updated information, built using data gathered from law enforcement agencies and independent research. Currently Accredibase has information on 5,070 diploma and accreditation mills operating in 123 countries. Visit http://www.accredibase.com/

SOURCE Verifile