‘Academic certificates’ are available without going to schools, colleges or universities as several groups are active in selling certificates. Anyone does not need to study hard or attend a prestigious educational institution for getting such a certificate.
The secret market of fake certificates is now available online. Several online groups on social media, especially on Facebook, are selling various academic certificates by posting advertisements.
Fake certificates of various educational institutions, including public and private universities, BUET, and medical colleges, are available in exchange for money.
Several gangs, through online, sell certificates of secondary and higher secondary examinations of various boards, graduation and post-graduation of different ongoing and closed private universities of Bangladesh in exchange for vast amounts of money. They took Tk 5000 to Tk 4 lakh for a certificate.
Many people collect fake educational certificates from the gangs even without academic qualifications. With this fake certificate, many people do good jobs in government and private institutions.
These certificates and mark sheets are made of the original paper, which is being used by different boards or universities. The gangs also upload the results online with the help of some unscrupulous officials and employees of some universities or boards.
They used to forge two types of certificates. One is to provide certificates, mark sheets, and testimonials without verification. Another is to give certificates, mark sheets, and testimonials that will be verified online in the country and abroad.
There is a facebook group named ‘Certificate Need? Result Change? BD?’ It was seen that several people are posting advertisements for selling certificate.
One advertisement reads, “If you want to take any SSC, HSC, BBA, or MBA certificate, please inbox quickly. Everything will be verified online. And all kinds of results are changeable.”
Another advertisement reads, “Three months, six months and one-year duration, computer, electrical, electronics, agriculture, caregiver, hotel management, welding including more than 200-course certificates, are available. This is for experienced people who have experience but no certificate. Certificates can be verified online. Results will be shown online. A PDF copy of the certificate, admit card, and registration card will be provided. Check the result online and pay.”
In the group, it was also seen that people who get certificates from the group's admin post thankful posts.
When this correspondent contacted Fahim Morshed Zaman, one of the admins of the Facebook group ‘Certificate Need? Result Change? BD?’, for an HSC certificate with online verification, he said it was possible and demanded Tk 60,000 for the certificate.
When contacted, Mashiur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Lalbagh Division of Detective Branch, said, “Last year, we arrested four members of a criminal gang involved in selling of forged academic certificates for money.”
“In exchange for a large amount of money, the gang members were selling graduation and post-graduation certificates of different private universities and academic certificates and mark sheets of different education boards.”
He said the gang would charge between Tk 80,000 and Tk 3 lakh for each document.
He also said, “Several officials of some private universities and education boards have been identified as directly involved in ‘online verification’ and sale of certificates.”
“The certificates and mark sheets are then uploaded online by the officials of the boards and private universities concerned so that during online verification, those documents are found to be authentic,” they added.
The police official said, “We have found that certificates are sold online nowadays. But no one complains in this regard. Besides, people who buy certificates don’t share information with us.”
“We cannot take action against the culprits due to lack of information,” he added.
About taking action against these online sellers, he said, “Our cyber team is monitoring their activities. After getting specific information, we will conduct drives against this cycle.”