The university will cheat: how higher education diplomas are illegally traded
Activists conducted a study and stated that migrants purchase educational diplomas, and for very little money, in order to get a job in Russia. It is explained to foreigners that the diplomas are fake, but they are supposedly sufficient. This is most likely a dangerous misconception for migrants, but as Izvestia found out, there is also a business where supposedly real university diplomas are offered and entered into the register. Diploma dealers claim that university employees are involved in the scheme, but universities believe that these are fraudsters. Read more - in the material "Izvestia".
How to buy fake diplomas
Investigation of fake documents was carried out by the "Russian Community", which told in its Telegram-channel. Activists found on the Web ads for services to produce any documents. To become a teacher-examiner even without knowledge of the language can allegedly be done for 10 thousand rubles, and for registration in Moscow it is enough to pay 1 thousand rubles.
Activists of the "Russian Community" talked to a certain Avazbek, who, having made a diploma the next day, warned that the document was fake and would not appear in the databases, but "there is no difference".
Izvestia correspondent turned to one of the portals where they offer to buy educational diplomas. Despite the fact that Roskomnadzor is engaged in blocking such sites, it is very easy to find them. The buyer is invited to go to a chat room in Telegram. There, an employee of the organization engaged in forging diplomas, said that the documents "practically do not differ in any way from those actually issued in educational institutions."
- For 80% of employers, they are completely sufficient for successful employment and there have never been any problems with them. Register documents may be required only if you are 100% sure that the employer will send a request to the university or college (institution of vocational education and training. - "Izvestia"), in other cases, there is no point in taking it, - said the company.
It is claimed that the diplomas are made on the "real original letterhead of Goznak". The cost of a document of higher education (Izvestia correspondent asked for a diploma in the specialty "Architect") is 20 thousand rubles. They can also make a diploma for secondary medical education, but it's a little cheaper - Br18 thousand. They promised to produce and send the document within three to seven days.
Why do migrants need an education document?
Alena Talash, founder and managing partner of the RosCo Group of Companies, notes that a Russian diploma can make it much easier for a foreigner to obtain a residence permit.
-Thus, migrants-citizens of a country that was formerly part of the USSR, can obtain a temporary residence permit (TPR) outside the quota and in a simplified procedure, if they have a diploma from an accredited Russian organization of secondary or higher vocational education," she explained to Izvestia. - A foreigner can obtain a residence permit bypassing the RVP procedure if he or she graduates with honors from an accredited university.
However, she emphasizes that even a minimal check will reveal a fake diploma. In this case, the employer has at least the right to dismiss the employee who deceived him by virtue of paragraph 11, part 1, article 81 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. Evgeny Kostromin, founder of the ContractCreation by Kostromin legal boutique, notes that this is not always the case: the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation noted that a fake diploma will not be grounds for dismissal of an employee if the work performed does not require mandatory professional education.
At the same time, says Alyona Talash, the violator can be fined up to 80 thousand rubles under Article 327 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Forgery, production or circulation of forged documents"), and the presence of criminal liability of a migrant is a ground for his expulsion from the Russian Federation.
-Criminal liability is possible if it is proved that the offender derived material benefit at the expense of the diploma," the lawyer explained.
Artem Baghdasaryan, a member of the Russian Bar Association, notes that a fake diploma may allow a migrant to get a job, but only if the manager will not check its authenticity. But it will definitely not be possible to obtain a residence permit or residence permit on the basis of a fake diploma: here the data is already thoroughly checked.
-The Ministry of Internal Affairs sends inquiries to state security agencies, health authorities, etc., " Elena Trainis told Izvestia, general director of Intertrudkomplekt LLC and founder of the Legality.ru project, which assists foreigners in applying for a residence permit in the Russian Federation. - Naturally, without positive answers from these instances, no Russian documents can be issued to a foreigner. Accordingly, a purchased diploma is, at best, just a piece of paper, and at worst, a reason to initiate criminal proceedings.
Artem Baghdasaryan notes that in general the issue of legalization of migrants by illegal means is a very big and acute problem, which is connected not only with fake diplomas. The issuance of fake Russian language certificates is especially widespread, he says.
Alyona Talash recalls several high-profile cases: in St. Petersburg in 2024, police officers stopped the activities of several illegal organizations that provided services to legalize migrant workers, selling them fictitious documents for amounts ranging from 35 thousand to 40 thousand rubles. Moreover, according to her, the number of detected fake documents of foreigners is growing: in 2024, 4.6 thousand such facts were established, 16.5% more than in 2023.
- The number of offenses in the field of illegal migration should decrease against the background of the adoption in late October 2024 of the law on toughening responsibility for such criminal acts, - says Alyona Talash.
How diplomas are checked
Olga Borisova, head of the HR department of RosCo - Consulting and Audit, notes that they check the applicant's diploma for originality and legality with the help of a request to the university, through the service "Federal Register of Information on Education Documents" (FRDO) or obrnadzor.gov.ru.
-Personnel officers check diplomas if there is a reason to doubt their authenticity," she told Izvestia. - For example, if the documents are printed on ordinary paper without watermarks, the quality of printing leaves much to be desired, the document has errors and inaccuracies.
Olga Borisova pointed out that the diploma will be 100% verified by an organization related to the military and defense sector, when employed in law enforcement agencies.
- But many organizations in principle take seriously the procedure of verification of applicants, - she continued. - Even if the employee does not agree to the diploma authentication under the law on personal data, the employer has the right to send a request to law enforcement agencies, which will conduct a technical and forensic examination.
How to buy "real diplomas of education"
Alyona Talash notes that "other scammers go further, promising to run the data through the university system and enter it into the necessary registers".
-Theoretically, the scheme is reliable, but in practice promises are often not fulfilled, " she notes. - It is strongly recommended not to participate in such schemes, as the deception is easy to uncover.
It didn't take long to look for organizations that promise to "run data through the university system" - the company, which offered diplomas for 18-20 thousand rubles, directed to a specific site. Obviously, the company with cheap diplomas is "in the share" - they asked to indicate that it was from them that the client came.
- Several of our clients were sent to them, but there prices for registry documents start from 150 thousand rubles, and, as far as we know, the list of educational institutions that can help with the registry is very small, - the client - correspondent of "Izvestia" was informed.
Interestingly, we found the same portal earlier using a simple Google query. Apparently, the site is regularly blocked by Roskomnadzor, but it reopens.
We decided to ask to sell us a diploma of higher architectural education, but an official one, with entry in all the necessary registers, with a graduation date of 2012-2013. "Eugene", who negotiates with clients on Telegram, said that the documents are made with confirmation through the archive of the university, with access to the database only twice a year, at the time of official issuance.
The site, by the way, describes in detail how these documents are obtained: they are registered either retroactively or through the procedure of "restoring" a lost diploma. It is also pointed out that legal documents are "temporarily unavailable" for the entire medical field. Although the Izvestia correspondent's request to make medical documents "for a friend" was not met with a categorical response - "let her apply, we'll see what we can do to help".
- The document will pass any checks and requests of any organizations of any form of ownership. The cost - from 150 thousand rubles, they will tell you more precisely after the answer from the university, which will agree to help you- told us "Eugene", promising to send and the official extract from the archives of the university.
The set of documents required by the manufacturer of fake diplomas are color copies of passport, certificate, SNILS, 3x4 photo, as well as an application for admission to the university with an open date. Prepayment - 20%, the remaining 80% - upon receipt of the document in hand. And, allegedly, the prepayment will be taken only if the university has familiarized itself with the documents and confirmed the possibility of fulfilling the order. Diploma is either sent by registered mail, or you can pick it up by coming to the city where the university is located.
The interlocutor did not answer direct questions with the name of a particular university, "crusts" of which I would like to receive. But, apparently, fearing that the doubting client would "slip away", "Eugene" wrote to us on his own.
- Gave an answer on BSTU (Belgorod State Technological University), will be able to do on the basis of a certificate of secondary education in the direction - 07.03.04 - "Urban Planning", profile "Urban Planning Design", part-time form of study, 2012 year of issue. The price will be 190 thousand, 2013 year of issuance price will be 150 thousand. On the termswill be able to the summer issuance (late July, early August) or September. Passing score above 4.3 we do not promise, perhaps a little lower, - he said.
Apparently, we are talking about Belgorod State Technological University named after V.G. Shukhov. V.G. Shukhov Belgorod State Technological University, which ranks 33rd in the RAEX rating for engineering and technology in Russia.
Evgeny Yevgeny Yevtushenko, the first vice-rector of the V.G. Shukhov State Technological University, told Izvestia that the university had no cases of issuing diplomas to people who had not been trained.
- In case of appearance of factually confirmed information about "fake diplomas" of V.G. Shukhov State Technical University, we will immediately inform law enforcement agencies to investigate and bring the guilty to justice," he said.
He added that he considers the information about the alleged possibility to get a real diploma of education through BSTU employees to be false.
- Probably, you have encountered fraudulent actions, as the data presented to you have no reliable basis to confirm these facts," said Yevgeny Yevtushenko. - Moreover, the implementation of the educational program of higher education under the specified code the university has been carrying out since 2016 and only on a full-time basis, which also testifies to the non-involvement of the university staff in this scam.
The Izvestia correspondent returned with this information to the seller of diplomas, informing him that he checked the information in the university and it did not agree with the voiced offer. "Eugene" promised to clarify in the university and return with an answer, but at the time of publication of the material did not give new information. The seller of diplomas did not react to suspicions of fraud.
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