If you’re tempted to get fake degrees but don’t. This is illegal and could lead to fines, or even prison time.
It’s a violation of the wire and mail fraud laws to buy fake degrees. Additionally, it can expose lives to risk in some industries, including healthcare and aviation.
The scandal of the Diploma Mill scandal
Diploma mills are worth billions of dollars According to experts, with fake degrees being sold across the globe. The fake certificates can diminish the value of legitimate degrees that people have spent many years and thousands of dollars earning. They could cause personal and professional disaster. When professionals such as medical professionals and engineers aren’t properly trained people are exposed to risk. Even with the scrutiny of UNESCO and the U.S. Department of Education along with the FBI, Federal Trade Commission and a myriad of other watchdogs, it’s difficult to eliminate the fake degrees in the business.
However, it’s still flourishing in the US, where the number of known degree mills has increased by more than 20 percent since 2011, according to London-based screening firm Verifile. Actually, America has the dubious distinction of being one of the most popular locations for degree mills to operate. These bogus universities give an appearance of legitimacy to their “U.S.” campuses with appealing names and websites, such as Harvey University, Barkley University, and Nixon University.
But spotting these fakes isn’t an easy task, even with the help of a seasoned investigative reporter. In an earlier Marketplace investigation, Peter Ma Lack posed as an applicant for a PhD in biblical counseling at Almeda University and was quickly qualified without ever providing his resume. Although it’s difficult to root out these companies but the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York recently tried to prosecute a Pakistani-based executive from Axact and sentenced him to 21 months prison and a $5 million fine.
Credential fraud examples
With more and more students rely on the internet to acquire education, the number of diploma mills is increasing. It’s a concern for the private sector, government agencies and individuals. The issue also impacts the credibility of institutions and is an enormous threat to the integrity of academic institutions. Admissions personnel, universities, and others must be vigilant and ingenuous to find long-lasting solutions. This issue involves bribery as well as falsified academic documents, fake athletic credentials, and fake transcripts.
Keep in mind that there aren’t all diploma mills that offer the same services. The best ones produce legitimate degrees at a reasonable price, and are typically accredited by reputable institutions. Some mills make fake degrees at a price that is expensive and use them to scam business and students. They also sell fake degrees to mills that do not have them.
One of the recent high-profile cases involves the U.S. Secret Service, who discovered a scam in which an employee of the government bought master’s, bachelor’s and Ph.D. diploma from an Wyoming diploma mill. The agency alleged that the individual was using her credentials to gain access to classified information.
Muwafiq Fawaz al-Ruwaili, an ex-member of Saudi Arabia’s Consultative Council, has been fighting a personal battle against degree fraud by looking through LinkedIn profiles as well as other online sources to spot people who have fake qualifications. He names the fakes on Twitter using #hlkwny (halkuni is the Arabic expression for anger, which signifies “they destroyed me”) He hopes that a public list will aid in stopping the method.
Fake Degrees from Universities
In the age of smugness, an academic degree that sounds impressive is a badge of honor. A fake degree can also make it difficult to appreciate the effort genuine students and professionals have put in. This is why it’s crucial to be aware and not get caught in the danger of a fake degree fraud. If you are concerned regarding the legitimacy of your degree There are numerous ways to confirm its authenticity. Some companies offer digital track and trace services which ensure that the degree is genuine. These solutions can also provide universities and employers with a quick secure method to confirm your degree. It is crucial to keep in mind that the security of documents can’t be achieved. These features may prevent tampering but there are still many ways around these features.
One example is the company Axact, which allegedly sold fake degrees at a price of more than $600,000. Axact’s website looked authentic, and it used slick school websites with names like Harvey University, Barkley University, as well as Nixon University to give them the Ivy League feel. The company used the same fonts and formats for printing that resembled those used in authentic universities.
If you have the proper tools and advice you can detect a fake degree. You can ask the governing body of the institution or use an online tool.
Academic integrity issues
The proliferation of diploma mills around the world and academic fraud present a serious threat to the quality of higher education. These scams devalue legitimate credentials expose students to fraud and financial risk, and even threaten lives in fields such as medicine and engineering. In addition, they undermine public trust in the credibility of higher education institutions and hurt institutions reputations. This is especially important for international students, who are at risk of academic fraud and more likely than others to be targeted by degree mills.
The universities should take strict steps to safeguard academic integrity and to maintain transparency. The Monash University fake certificate scandal illustrates how crucial it is for universities to remain informed and taking strong measures whenever they discover suspicious activity.
In addition to the dangers of counterfeit documents, academic plagiarism and misconduct pose grave risks to the integrity of research and academic institutions. According to the Institute for Scientific Integrity, plagiarism occurs when an individual employs the words of another without credit or citing. Some forms of academic misconduct could be a criminal offense.
Fake degrees aren’t unlawful under federal law, however they are in violation of the laws against fraud-by-wire and mail fraud laws. Ezell says that only two degree purchasers have been charged with violating the laws. Furthermore, the act of faking a degree could result in civil and criminal penalties for the purchaser, including loss of work or the revocation of licenses.