Almost 20,000 fraudulent verification applications in the last five years

3% of the professional verification applications processed by the DataFlow Group in the last five years have been found to be fraudulent, reveals TrueProfile.io, the provider of Primary Source Verification (PSV) services.

TrueProfile.io, which is part of the DataFlow Group, a global provider of specialised PSV solutions, background screening and immigration compliance services, also revealed that the highest trend for fraudulent professional document verification applications during this period has been found amongst allied health professionals and nurses. In the same time period, the DataFlow Group found that the forgery rate among employment documents is responsible for the majority of fraudulent cases.

These alarming figures highlight the ongoing challenges that fraudulent academic and professional data and the commercialisation of fake qualifications pose to the reputation of employers and the safety and security of the general public.

In 2018, an investigation by the BBC’s File on Four programme found that more than 3,000 fake qualifications were sold to UK-based buyers, including physicians and nurses, by a single company in 2013 and 2014, In addition, research by YouGov published in 2017 revealed that one in ten British people have lied on their CVs with 4 in 10 CVs containing embellished information about education and qualifications.

René Seifert, co-founder of TrueProfile.io, explains: "The internet has made obtaining fraudulent professional qualifications and academic credentials very easy. Not only does this damage employers' reputations, but most importantly it can put human safety, and ultimately, lives at risk.

"Employers in high-risk sectors such as healthcare are legally obliged to verify the professional documents of thousands of job applicants. This process typically requires a high resource and time investment and often proves too lengthy, complex  and costly to be completed, leaving a number of applicants unverifiable.

With Brexit fast approaching, the pressures of healthcare staff shortages and the need to tap into the global market to fill the skills gap mean that employers will need to streamline their recruitment processes, while adhering to all relevant regulations. Luckily, PSV, coupled with technologies like blockchain can help employers and candidates to save time, resources and costs. Candidates whose credentials are verified with TrueProfile.io only need to do this once and store their verification on the blockchain. They can then share this with potential employers during their careers which can be authenticated in real time by the recipient.” 

Seifert concludes: "The number of fraudulent job applications gives a clear message. Employers, regulators and recruiters need to act now to ensure that they don't fall victim. TrueProfile.io represents the new standard in document verification in the UK and we are committed to continue to assist both employers and candidates in building relationships based on trust."