Academic fraud is on the rise globally, with concerns about its increasing prevalence at all education levels. The International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) highlights the growing problem of academic fraud, which threatens educational quality and integrity. Universities worldwide participated in the “International Day of Action against contract cheating” to address the surge in educational fraud and uphold academic integrity. 

 Counterfeit engineering diplomas are readily purchasable on the internet at a very cheap rate, with certain websites marketing them as a convenient pathway to lucrative professions. Such deceptive activities mislead employers and undermine the authenticity of legitimate educational establishments and qualified experts. 

Education: Academic integrity lies at the heart of education, fostering an environment of honesty, trust, and fairness. Academic fraud undermines this foundation and erodes the value of education. When individuals resort to forged certificates and fake records, they compromise the very essence of learning. The educational landscape loses its credibility, leaving genuine students and institutions to suffer the consequences. 

Job Market: The job market relies on accurate assessments of candidates’ qualifications. Academic fraud shatters this reliability, leading to severe repercussions. Employers’ trust in the validation of certificates is compromised, leaving them skeptical about the skills and knowledge of applicants. As a result, deserving candidates may miss out on opportunities, while unqualified individuals secure positions they aren’t equipped to handle. 

Trust: In a world built on trust, academic fraud tears down the foundation of integrity. Institutions, students, and employers alike begin to doubt the authenticity of qualifications. The reputation of educational institutions takes a hit, impacting their ability to attract quality students and faculty. This lack of faith trickles into society, sowing seeds of doubt and mistrust in institutions that should be beacons of knowledge and honesty. 

• In Nigeria, forged educational certificates and records are widespread among admission and job seekers, prospective corps members, politicians, and office aspirants. 
• Niger State: A Staff Audit Committee found over 2,286 primary school teachers using questionable certificates. The majority of the Education Ministry’s staff also secured jobs with fake certificates. 
• Plateau State: Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) dismissed 122 primary school teachers for gaining employment with fake certificates. 
• National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) disclosed that 82.9% of foreign university graduates did not attend the physical certificate verification, raising concerns about the authenticity of their certificate 

Digital Web Certificates ensure both the identity and secure encryption of a website, individual, organization, device, user or server. There is increased trust by providing a third-party validation of a user, device, server, website, individual or organization. They are an added layer of protection for digital assets. 

Digital Certificates Web (“DC Web”) is a holistic secure document platform that fully supports, improves and secures legacy certification systems using advanced technologies. 

DC Web technologies deliver a secure digital experience, enabling universities to adopt a digital-first strategy for issuing secure credentials to students and graduates. This innovative approach to digital transformation provides a fully self-service online solution for students and graduates to view their secure digital documents and share access for 3rd parties, such as employers, to view, order and pay for printed copies of their documents. Through the DC Web Verification Portal, employers and 3rd parties can use the self-service functionality to verify individual’s documents.