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The use of fake degrees to land better jobs and pay is on the rise in Singapore with many of the offenders coming from India and China, the Manpower Ministry said in a published report Wednesday.
Data showed 374 people were found last year with fraudulently obtained employment passes, a marked jump from 97 cases in 2005, The Straits Times said.
Employment passes are designed for highly skilled people, while “S-Passes” are for semi-skilled workers.
Faked diplomas and other qualifications are the most common abuse of the system. Six in 10 of the cases uncovered in 2006 were for such offences, committed by Singaporeans as well as foreigners.
Many of the foreigners pass themselves off as engineers and chefs, the report said.
So many bosses are tricked by those with faked papers that resume sleuths have emerged to check out potential employees’ CVs, it added.
The Manpower Ministry conducts random checks to “verify the authenticity of documents,” a spokeswoman was quoted as saying.
At least one company blamed unscrupulous agents. The firm needed an engineer and hired a Chinese national through an agent, based on the prospect’s resume.
Six months later, Manpower Ministry officials arrested the employee, who had claimed to be a degree holder when he was not.
Those caught are usually jailed before being repatriated.