6 Ways to Spot and Identify Fake Sports Certificates

The cases of submitting fake sports certificates to get jobs and other benefits is increasing rapidly across the globe. However, it is illegal for anyone to use fake sports certificates as genuine documents for seeking any benefits, and the person could end up in prison for the same.

Alarmingly, the number of cases of fake sports certificates provided to get a job is on the increase with the availability of several websites that offer templates and design for certificates. Also, there is easy an access to purchase counterfeit or fake documents, which is now a global problem for employers who are liable for verifying qualifications. To curb this problem, here are some of the ways to identify fake sports certificates:

1. Certificate Design

It is seen that fraudsters believe a baroque, gothic typeface symbolizes tradition and prestige. Many of the fake sports certificates encountered by employers use this technique. However, this sort of typographical representations is outdated in the real university world. The latest fake sports certificates are modelled on their real-world counterparts.

2. Use of Language

A fake sports certificate will have some grammatical errors or the lingo on the sports certificates will be different. Besides, the use of Latin terminology on a sports certificate should also be a suspicious sign. For instance, expressions such as ‘with honors’ are popular with UK’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), whereas ‘cum laude’ are popular with US universities.

In the UK, contemporary certificates are in English, while Latin versions are infrequently issued as mementos, but are auxiliary to the English version.

3. Certificate Components

Universities around the world take gradually sophisticated security measures to safeguard and protect the integrity of their documents. On the other hand, fraudsters develop their own versions of seals, crests, and holograms. Thus, checking the insignia on the certificate with the university website can help in distinguishing real and fake.

In addition, the only sure way of not being defrauded by a fake sports certificate is to check the authenticity of the certificate issued by the university.

4. University Location

Fake websites of universities usually provide contact information which includes a postal address. If this feature is excluded, it cannot go unnoticed. It is always better to put the postcode in SreetView if any suspicion about the legitimacy of a dubious-looking university website.

However, before reaching the StreetView stage, insufficiencies or inconsistencies in the address may give the game away. A mailing house or PO Box address, for instance, is unlikely to be used by a legitimate and real university.

5. Domain

.ac suffix is most preferred by fraudsters and thus, Ascension Island is a one of the most popular domain choice amongst them. This is because ‘.ac’ is as close as it’s possible to get to ac.uk. Thus many police units around the world work with domain name registrars to shut down such sites. For instance, the National Fraud Investigation Bureau (UK) works with 123 Reg or GoDaddy.

Thus, in the fundamental rule in this way is that if it doesn’t look like a university website address, then it is not one.

6. Trust the Professionals

Certificate verification process can take time and sometimes may prove inaccurate, particularly when checking the qualifications that are undertaken overseas. This is when making use of a professional degree or certificate verification solution is the most effective option. For instance, Certification Verification by QMS International is an automated qualification verification solution for employers across the globe.

The increasingly growing competition in every field is giving rise to the incidents of candidates providing fake certificates and degrees, such as fake sports certificates for a job in sports quota. Thus, it has become very important for employers to invest effective measures for qualification verifications during candidate hiring.

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.