There are no completely accurate official statistics on the specific number of people who buy fake diplomas in the UK (most of these transactions are illegal underground activities), but based on multiple investigation reports and media reports, a rough range can be estimated:

1. Reference to existing data
   The Times survey in 2022:
   About 5,000-10,000 people in the UK buy fake diplomas every year, mainly from “diploma mills” or forged certificates from prestigious British/overseas universities.

Data from the Higher Education Degrees and Degrees Authority (HEDD):
Among the academic qualifications verified in 2021, about 3%-5% were confirmed to be forged or tampered with (including some purchases).

Case cracked by the London police in 2023:
A fake diploma gang sells more than 2,000 forged degree certificates to the UK every year, and customers include job seekers, immigration applicants, etc.

Identifying fake diplomas and transcripts requires a combination of technical inspections, logical verification, official verification, and behavioral interviews. The following is the most comprehensive identification method, which is suitable for personal self-examination, corporate recruitment or academic institution review.

1. Quickly identify common flaws of fake diplomas/transcripts
2. Format and layout problems
   Font inconsistency: Formal documents use a unified font, and fake documents may change fonts due to patchwork.

Alignment error: The numbers and subject names on the transcript are not aligned, which may be a trace of PS modification.

Missing key information: such as no degree number, principal’s signature, school seal, etc.

2. Time logic error
   Graduation time is earlier than enrollment time (such as “enrolled in 2018, graduated in 2020”, but the school system should be 4 years).

The order of semesters on the transcript is confusing (such as the first semester course appears in the third semester).

3. Abnormal school information
   Wrong school name: such as “Tsinghua University” is written as “Tsinghua University”.

Fake school: No such school (you can check the list of recognized schools on the official website of the Ministry of Education).

Degree name does not match: such as “Master of Engineering” is written as “Bachelor of Engineering”.

4. Missing anti-counterfeiting features
   No watermark, no security line: Formal diplomas usually have special paper for anti-counterfeiting.

Blurred or printed seals: Genuine diplomas often use steel stamps or fresh seals (with a concave and convex feel).

2. Official verification method (most reliable)
3. China academic qualification verification
   ** China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center (https://www.chsi.com.cn)**: You can check higher education qualifications after 2001.

You can check bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

Method: Enter name, ID number, and certificate number to query.

2. Overseas academic qualification verification

3. Contact the school directly
   Find the email or phone number of the “Registrar’s Office” through the school’s official website, and provide the student’s name, student number, and graduation year for verification.

III. Technical detection methods

1. Electronic file detection (PDF/scanned copy)
   Check the file properties (such as using Adobe Acrobat to check the creation time and modification records).

Zoom in to check the pixels: whether the edges of the transcript numbers and text are blurred (PS modification traces).

Compare with official templates: download the school’s official website sample and compare the format, font, and layout.

2. Physical document detection (paper diploma)
   Ultraviolet light irradiation: Check the hidden anti-counterfeiting mark (some schools have fluorescent patterns).

Touch the seal: Real diplomas are mostly stamped with steel or fresh seals (with a concave and convex feel), while fake diplomas are mostly printed flat.

Check the watermark through light: Formal diploma paper usually has a school emblem or text watermark.

IV. Behavioral interview and background check

1. Detailed questions

Ask the candidate:

“What is the title of your graduation thesis?”

“What is the name of your advisor?”

“Which campus is your school library located in?”

“Who is the teacher of a certain course of yours?”

“Why did you fail a low-scoring course on your transcript?”

2. Verify internship/project experience

If the resume shows that you have a full-time job during your studies, verify whether the time conflicts.

Contact the internship unit to confirm whether it is true.

5. Common types of fake diplomas and identification techniques
   Type Characteristics How to identify
   Fake university diplomas The school does not exist or is not recognized Check the Ministry of Education’s Foreign Affairs Supervision Information Network
   PS to modify transcripts The digital fonts are inconsistent and the alignment is wrong Zoom in to check the pixels and compare with the official template
   Duplicate diplomas The real student information is stolen, but the photos are replaced Face recognition verification by China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center
   High-quality imitation diplomas Imitate the real diploma, but the anti-counterfeiting is missing Ultraviolet light irradiation, steel stamp inspection
6. Summary: Steps to identify fake diplomas/transcripts
   Preliminary inspection (format, time, school name).

Anti-counterfeiting verification (watermark, seal, ultraviolet light).

Official verification (China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center, school registration office).

Behavioral interview (detailed questions, background investigation).

Note:

Fake diplomas are becoming more and more realistic, and the official verification is the final standard.

Unauthorized verification of other people’s academic qualifications may be illegal, and it is recommended to operate through the formal background check process.

The above methods can effectively identify more than 90% of fake diplomas and transcripts!