Viewpoint: It's time to publish a “Witch Doctor?”

Annually, a substantial number of persons purchase bogus degrees. In some cases, the aim is outright fraud. The buyer believes that the bogus qualification will help him to obtain a better post. And regrettably, in many cases, he is successful. A large number of organisations never check the authenticity of an employee's degrees. Or, if they do, they lack the resources to validate the status of many so‐called qualifications. In some cases, the person perpetrating the fraud can escape undetected for years; but once exposed, the price can be high. Generally the result is dismissal, and possibly a claim from the employer for the refunding of incremental payments which had been conditional upon the possession of a degree. There is also the resultant social scandal.