Officials in the Federal Trade Commission, as well as the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management, have worked together to provide employers with clues to spotting phony academic credentials. One method is to look at degree sequence. For example, if an applicant lists a Master's degree, but no Associate or Bachelor's degree, this could be a tell-tale sign the degree is false. Along the same lines, if an applicant claims to have earned a degree in less time than it would normally take -- for example, earning a Bachelor's degree in only one year -- then this is an unusual claim that should be verified.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, degree mills often use "soundalike" college names -- that is, school names that sound or look like well-established or well-known institutions in the United States and overseas. So while certain schools on an applicant's resume may sound prestigious, this alone could be a sign that the degree should be verified. Additionally, school location is an important component to consider as well. If an applicant has a degree from a college in a city other than where he or she worked at the time of receiving it, this could mean they were involved in a legitimate distance education program, but it might also mean the degree was paid for.
The Bureau of Consumer Protection notes the first step in verifying a college degree is to contact the school in question to confirm dates of enrollment and graduation, as well as majors, minors and degrees awarded. Most college registrars will confirm this information upon request, but student permission is usually needed in order to obtain a certified academic transcript. In addition to this step, it should be ascertained whether or not the degree in question is from an accredited university. Usually the school's website will display this information, but the Department of Education also keeps a database of accredited academic institutions that can be accessed by the public.
There are also third-party degree verification services such as the National Student Clearinghouse, which uses an online database called DegreeVerify. This service is the largest verification service in the nation, using attendance records and degree registry data from over 1,700 colleges and universities. While there is a fee for this service, the National Student Clearinghouse contends their methods can save time with immediate verification, or a 24-hour waiting period if the records in question predate a school's electronic records.