If you’re tempted to get a fake degree, don’t do it. It’s illegal and can lead to fines or even jail time.
Buying fake degrees is considered academic fraud, and it violates wire and mail fraud statutes. It can also put lives at risk in some industries, including healthcare and aviation.
Diploma mill scandals
The world of diploma mills is a billion-dollar industry, according to experts, with fake degrees sold around the globe. These phony credentials devalue the legitimate degrees people spend years and thousands of dollars earning, and can lead to professional and personal disaster. And, when professionals like engineers and health care workers aren’t properly trained, the public can be put at risk. The bogus degree business is difficult to root out, even with the attention of UNESCO, the U.S. Department of Education, the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission and a slew of watchdogs.
But it’s still thriving in the US, where the number of known degree mills has grown over 20 percent since 2011, according to London-based screening company Verifile. In fact, America has the dubious distinction of being one of the most popular places for degree mills to operate. With slick websites and names like Harvey University, Barkley University and Nixon University, these bogus schools give their “U.S.” campuses an air of legitimacy.
But spotting these fakes isn’t easy, even with the help of a seasoned investigative reporter. In a recent Marketplace experiment, Peter Ma Lack posed as an applicant for a PhD in biblical counselling from Almeda University and was quickly qualified without ever providing his resume. While it’s hard to root out these mills, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York recently prosecuted a Pakistani-based executive from Axact and sentenced him to 21 months in prison and a $5 million fine.
Credential fraud examples
As more and more people rely on the internet to acquire education, the number of diploma mills is growing. It’s a problem that affects individuals, companies and governments. It also impacts the credibility of institutions, and it is a major challenge to academic integrity. Lasting solutions demand vigilance and creativity from admissions personnel, universities, and others. The problem includes bribery, forged academic documents, false transcripts, and bogus athletic credentials.
It’s important to remember that not all diploma mills https://lambangnhanh.com/ are created equal. The best ones produce legitimate degrees for a reasonable price, and they’re usually accredited by reputable organizations. In contrast, the worst ones create fake degrees for a premium and then exploit them to bilk students and businesses. In some cases, they even resell the fake degrees to other mills.
One of the most recent high-profile cases involves the U.S. Secret Service, which uncovered a scam whereby a government employee purchased a bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degree from a Wyoming diploma mill. The agency alleged that the individual was using her credentials to gain access to classified information.
Muwafiq Fawaz al-Ruwaili, a former member of Saudi Arabia’s Consultative Council, has been waging a personal campaign against degree fraud by checking LinkedIn profiles and other online sources to identify people with fake qualifications. He then names them on Twitter with the hashtag #hlkwny (“halkuni” is an Arabic expression of annoyance meaning “they destroyed me”). He’s hoping that a public list will help to curb the practice.
Fake university degrees
In our era of credentialism, an impressive-sounding university degree is a status symbol. Moreover, a fake one can devalue the hard work that genuine students and professionals put in. This is why it is important to be vigilant and not get caught in the trap of a fake degree scam. If you are concerned about the authenticity of your diploma, there are many ways to check its credibility. Some companies offer digital track and trace solutions that ensure that your degree is real. Moreover, these solutions provide easy and secure verification for employers or universities. However, it is important to note that perfect document security is an unattainable goal. Even though these features can prevent tampering, there are many ways to bypass these security measures.
One such example was a company called Axact, which allegedly sold fake degrees for more than $600,000. Axact’s website looked authentic, and it used slick school websites with names like Harvey University, Barkley University, and Nixon University to give them an Ivy League feel. The company also used the same fonts and print formats as real universities.
However, with the right tips and tools, you can easily detect a fake university degree. You can ask the governing body for information about the university or use an online tool to verify the degree.
Academic integrity issues
The global proliferation of diploma mills and related academic fraud poses a major threat to the integrity of higher education. These scams devalue legitimate credentials, expose students to fraud and financial risks, and can even put lives at risk in professions such as medicine and engineering. In addition, they undermine public trust in the credibility of higher education and harm institutions’ reputations. These issues are especially critical for international students, who are at particular risk of academic fraud and are more likely to be targeted by degree mills.
Universities should be vigilant to maintain transparency and take strict measures to prevent academic integrity issues. The Monash University fake certificates scandal highlights the need for universities to stay informed of their surroundings and continue to take strong action when they detect any suspicious activity.
In addition to the dangers of counterfeit documents, academic misconduct and plagiarism pose serious threats to the integrity of research and academic institutions. According to the Institute for Scientific Integrity, plagiarism occurs when an individual uses another person’s words without credit or citation. Some forms of academic misconduct can even be a criminal offense.
While bogus degrees are not illegal under federal law, they violate fraud-by-wire and mail fraud statutes. Ezell notes that he knows of only two degree buyers who have been prosecuted under these laws. In addition, faking a degree can result in civil and criminal penalties for the buyer, including loss of employment or revocation of licenses.
