As Academic Fraud Persists, Verification Services Eliminate Uncertainty about Candidate Education Credentials

Jun 23, 2017 | In the News

Even at the executive levels, resume and education fraud continue to infiltrate the workplace, posing numerous risks to employers and the public they serve. According to a background screening report published in a recent Society for Human Resource Management article, of the 4,000 survey respondents, 85 percent said they had discovered a lie or fabrication on a resume or job application — a 66 percent increase since 2012.¹

A candidate’s academic credentials play a vital role in the hiring process, viewed as a significant factor in predicting career success. However, merely half of employers verify credentials during the screening process, as indicated in the report. “Education fraud tends to be the highest percentage of discrepancies we see,” said Daniel Yanisse, CEO of Checkr, a San Francisco-based background screening firm. “From a liability perspective, employers face exposure if they don’t screen executives and that person causes harm of any kind to customers or employees.”²

“As a long-time user of National Student Clearinghouse services, I feel qualified to say that U.S. education verifications have become increasingly easier to obtain as NSC has grown and consistently improved its service to background screeners.”


Craig Caddell, Vice President of CRA Solutions, ClearStar, Inc.

Academic fraud exists in many forms, such as falsely claiming to have earned a degree from a legitimate institution, as well as using a fake degree purchased from a diploma mill. Additionally, potential consequences include loss of clientele, decreased productivity, higher turnover, greater financial costs and a tarnished reputation. In response to this alarming trend, through our online Verification Services, the Clearinghouse makes education verification simple and convenient.

“As a long-time user of National Student Clearinghouse services, I feel qualified to say that U.S. education verifications have become increasingly easier to obtain as NSC has grown and consistently improved its service to background screeners,” said Craig Caddell, Vice President of CRA Solutions, ClearStar, Inc.

¹ 2017 Employment Screening Benchmark Report.HireRight, 2017.
² Verify Degrees and Protect the Company from Resume Fraud.” Society for Human Resource Management, June 14, 2017.