Suspicion of Fraudulent or Falsified Documents

If a department suspects that an application file contains fraudulent or falsified documents, a copy of the file should be forwarded to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) with explanation.

If a department suspects that the transcript and/or the translation are fraudulent, the department may choose to send copies of both the transcript and the translation (if available) directly to the institution and request verification. If departments need the address of an institution, the FGSR may be able to provide it.

If a department suspects that letters of recommendation are fraudulent, the department should contact the referees for confirmation of their letters and include a copy of the recommendation letter; or the department can ask the FGSR to confirm letters.

If a department suspects a TOEFL score is fraudulent, the score can be verified, providing the score is less than two years old, by calling TOEFL at 1-800-257-9547. For assistance with other approved English language examinations, please contact the FGSR.

In each case, the FGSR will do an assessment to determine whether the documents are falsified, and may charge the applicant under the Code of Applicant Behavior, available from University Governance.