The government is warning employers about fake qualifications in South Africa, Business Tech reports. This is from Umalusi, the Council for General and Further Education.
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It's another thing to misrepresent yourself in an interview. But organizations face something even worse. It is the rise of fake qualifications by unaccredited private institutions. These criminals intentionally deceive young and vulnerable students. Similarly, there are also fake certificates/diplomas that are deliberately purchased from scammers with the aim of deceiving potential employers.
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Speaking at a joint media event held recently, Umalusi said he was concerned about the proliferation of fake private learning institutions. Additionally, the proliferation of fake qualifications in South Africa is having a negative impact on many employers.
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Umalusi's countermeasure is a South African authentication database. There is a National Learner Record Database (NLRD) run by the South African Qualifications Authority, which holds records of all genuine qualifications in South Africa.
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The genuine assessment bodies that your curriculum should belong to in South Africa are: National Advanced Certificates from the Department of Basic Education (DEB), the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) and the South African Integrated Assessment Institute (SACAI). Please be careful if your institution is not linked to any of the above.
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Employers can check the validity of fake qualifications in South Africa on the Umalusi website here. Additionally, the South African Police Service (SAPS) is cracking down on unlicensed agencies using non-existent programs and the sale of fraudulent certificates. So far, 11 suspects, including an employee of the Ministry of Higher Education, have been arrested on suspicion of issuing fraudulent diplomas in December 2023.
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In addition, fake educational institutions are becoming increasingly sophisticated in tricking unsuspecting students. We will send you an authentic certificate and email. Some have used the Umalusi logo on authentic reproductions of registration letters. Students may also take the exam using old question papers downloaded from the state education department website.
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