Protect your career from fake degrees

1. Check the school with the official register

Accreditation is national. There is no worldwide accreditor, so check the school in the official place for its country:

• United States: the US Department of Education's database of accredited institutions (DAPIP), or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
• United Kingdom: GOV.UK's page on checking that a university is officially recognised, and in England the Office for Students Register.
• Australia: TEQSA's National Register of higher education providers.

Then check the name against the government warning lists. Some countries publish the names of institutions they have found to be fake or illegal.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​⁠

2. Know the signs of a diploma mill

A diploma mill sells degrees that need little or no study. A fake-diploma maker prints copies of certificates, sometimes using a real university's name. Watch for:

• A degree for "life experience" alone, with no exams, classes or coursework
• A degree in days or weeks, or a graduation date you can choose
• A price for the degree itself, with transcripts "included"
• Accreditation from an "international" or "global" body, or claims of UNESCO approval. UNESCO does not accredit universities.
• Promises that the document will "pass any verification"
• Payment by crypto, gift card or into a personal account

Paste any ad or message into the message scanner, or a school's address into the website X-ray, to see these signs highlighted.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​⁠

3. Spot the job offer scam that sells you a qualification

Some fake recruiters promise a job, then say you need a certificate, a course or a "verified degree" first, and offer to sell you one. A real employer does not ask you to buy a qualification from them or their partner. If a job offer comes with a bill, stop and check the company and the school independently.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​⁠

4. Know how employers check your degree

Employers and background-check companies confirm degrees directly with the university or its official verification service, such as the National Student Clearinghouse in the US, HEDD in the UK or My eQuals in Australia. They do not rely on the certificate alone. So a degree the university has no record of will fail, however real the paper looks. How verification works

5. If you have already paid

You are not the first, and you can act now. Stop using the document. Keep the evidence: receipts, messages and the seller's web address. Report the seller to the police or your national consumer protection agency, and ask your bank or card provider straight away whether the payment can be disputed. To understand the risk of keeping a fake degree on your CV, see what a fake degree can cost.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​⁠

6. Honest routes to a degree while you work

Accredited universities in the US, UK and Australia offer part-time and online degrees designed for working adults. Many also recognise prior learning: they assess what you already know from work and training, and give credit for part of the degree. In the US this is usually called prior learning assessment (PLA), in the UK and Australia recognition of prior learning (RPL).

The rules are set by each university. Credit usually covers only part of a degree, and you complete the rest through assessed study. If a provider promises a whole degree for your experience alone, it is not a real one.