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A BBC Newsnight investigation found that the American University of London (AUOL) had sold a study-free MBA degree for more than R40 000 with no academic work required.
Danie Strydom, CEO of the qualifications verifications company QVS, said fraudulent degrees and diplomas were already a problem in the country and that another flood of bogus qualifications would add to the problem significantly.
“We have not come across any American University of London degrees during our verification process, but that does not mean that they are not being used in South Africa by people who may have acquired senior positions using these fake degrees,” Strydom said.
The investigation showed that the “university” awarded a fictitious person created by the programme a Master's in Business in exchange for a fee.
AUOL has insisted it is "not a bogus university" and defended the robustness of the qualifications it offers.
When Newsnight reporters launched a search for “graduates” in the UK who claimed to have degrees from the institution, it found hundreds of senior executives listing AUOL qualifications.
Strydom said fake and fraudulent qualifications were much more prevalent than most employers realised.
“There is not yet an awareness of just how easy it is to buy fake degrees and diplomas that look exactly like the real thing. In some cases there is even a verification service where someone will answer a telephone to verify that the holder was indeed the person who tendered the document.”
He said on average about 13% of all degrees verified by his company turned out to be forgeries. Strydom warned the business community against employing anyone without verifying their degree or diploma.
He said there was a lack of awareness in small to medium companies in South Africa about just how vulnerable they were.
“We know from experience that degree fraudsters are often accomplished liars who can talk themselves into a job. Once employed, however, they are incapable of performing their duties.”
