Watch Out For Fake College Diplomas
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Recently, some high-profile cases have exposed the use of fake college diplomas at high levels of business and government. Laura Callahan, Chief Information Officer for the Department of Homeland Security was shown to have used three degrees from a degree mill in Wyoming. The Ph. D which got her the job was one of these three, and all she had to do to "earn" this Ph. D was one essay.
Diploma mills cater for those who desire cheap, fast and easily-acquired qualifications to gain a career edge. The combination of e-commerce with the pressure to possess a college degree creates an impelling motive to drive supply and demand for fake diplomas. Experts estimate that the fraudulent degree trade is worth over five hundred million US dollars each year.
There is reason for concern that unethical diploma mills could sell bogus credentials to terrorists. A 2005 CNN investigation showed how easily journalists secured degrees from Rochville University in the names of known terrorists. James Monroe University provided an imaginary Syrian chemical weapons specialist with the degree he needed to stay in the US, no questions asked. Hundreds of fake diplomas are known to have been conferred on federal employees.
Slick websites and aggressive marketing are the trademarks of this smarmy business. Sites create the illusion that they are part of real bricks-and-mortar establishments, including a way for students to pay for on-line qualifications, and for prospective employers to verify that the degree is genuine. Diploma mill websites can have links to faculties, curriculum, tuition information and an American address. This is as phony as the degrees themselves; in reality they are merely domain names fronting for e-businesses in the Virgin Islands, Liberia or the Middle East. There are definitely no campuses or faculty offices.
Phony certificates are a big problem in modern China. A former Ministry of Education official recently stood trial in Beijing for swindling potential students wishing to go to US colleges by posing as a representative of the non-existent "Nation University". Nine other people were taken to court for selling these degree certificates from fictitious US colleges, mainly to corporate executives wanting to jazz up their CVs. There are also over one hundred Chinese fake universities simply selling degrees. Government regulation is seriously lacking.
The slick websites of diploma mills worldwide often include links to an American location, faculties, tuition details and curriculums. None of these will actually exist, it is all a veneer to generate the semblance of a real university. Some diploma mills also require a token amount of coursework to help dupe the customer by giving some impression that they have actually earned their degree.
The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization maintains a blacklist of unaccredited educational establishments which prey on the ignorance or greed of customers. This office also publishes a list of unrecognized accreditation suppliers. The US Department of Education provides an index of national and regional accreditation agencies, as well as a directory of distance learning accreditation agencies. These resources should enable employers to discern genuine applicants from those with phony diplomas.
Over one million US graduates hold on-line degrees, but ninety-five percent of prospective employers choose candidates with traditional degrees. The growth of legitimate on-line education produces fertile ground for degree mills. This prevalence of fake college diplomas undermines the value of legitimate on-line higher education.
Diploma mills cater for those who desire cheap, fast and easily-acquired qualifications to gain a career edge. The combination of e-commerce with the pressure to possess a college degree creates an impelling motive to drive supply and demand for fake diplomas. Experts estimate that the fraudulent degree trade is worth over five hundred million US dollars each year.
There is reason for concern that unethical diploma mills could sell bogus credentials to terrorists. A 2005 CNN investigation showed how easily journalists secured degrees from Rochville University in the names of known terrorists. James Monroe University provided an imaginary Syrian chemical weapons specialist with the degree he needed to stay in the US, no questions asked. Hundreds of fake diplomas are known to have been conferred on federal employees.
Slick websites and aggressive marketing are the trademarks of this smarmy business. Sites create the illusion that they are part of real bricks-and-mortar establishments, including a way for students to pay for on-line qualifications, and for prospective employers to verify that the degree is genuine. Diploma mill websites can have links to faculties, curriculum, tuition information and an American address. This is as phony as the degrees themselves; in reality they are merely domain names fronting for e-businesses in the Virgin Islands, Liberia or the Middle East. There are definitely no campuses or faculty offices.
Phony certificates are a big problem in modern China. A former Ministry of Education official recently stood trial in Beijing for swindling potential students wishing to go to US colleges by posing as a representative of the non-existent "Nation University". Nine other people were taken to court for selling these degree certificates from fictitious US colleges, mainly to corporate executives wanting to jazz up their CVs. There are also over one hundred Chinese fake universities simply selling degrees. Government regulation is seriously lacking.
The slick websites of diploma mills worldwide often include links to an American location, faculties, tuition details and curriculums. None of these will actually exist, it is all a veneer to generate the semblance of a real university. Some diploma mills also require a token amount of coursework to help dupe the customer by giving some impression that they have actually earned their degree.
The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization maintains a blacklist of unaccredited educational establishments which prey on the ignorance or greed of customers. This office also publishes a list of unrecognized accreditation suppliers. The US Department of Education provides an index of national and regional accreditation agencies, as well as a directory of distance learning accreditation agencies. These resources should enable employers to discern genuine applicants from those with phony diplomas.
Over one million US graduates hold on-line degrees, but ninety-five percent of prospective employers choose candidates with traditional degrees. The growth of legitimate on-line education produces fertile ground for degree mills. This prevalence of fake college diplomas undermines the value of legitimate on-line higher education.
About the Author:
Educational experts who warn of fake diploma schemes urge people to visit www.phonydiploma.com. They can learn what to do to avoid fake diplomas at http://www.phonydiploma.com.
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