Diploma Mills Redux Stanley Still Gets a Degree ! SACRAO 2012

Stanley Still Gets a Degree !
Diploma Mills
Redux
SACRAO 2012 M5.05
Janet L Davis, jldavis2@uno.edu
What are Diploma Mills?
“A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is an organization
which awards academic degrees and diplomas with very little or no
academic study and without recognition by official accrediting bodies.
Such organizations are unaccredited by standards of traditional
institutions, but they often claim accreditation by non-standard
organizations set up for the purposes of providing a veneer of
authenticity. “ – Wikipedia.org
A "degree mill" issues "real" diplomas from entities which may be
legally able to operate but are generally NOT legitimate universities.
A "diploma mill" issues counterfeit diplomas which bear the names
of legitimate universities.
What are their Characteristics?
 They are substandard or fraudulent “schools” that offer
potential students degrees with little or no serious
work.
 Some are just a mailbox to which you send payment in
exchange for paper that purports to be a college
degree.
 Others require some nominal work from the student but
do not require the college-level work that is normally
required for that degree.
It Could be a Diploma Mill If …
 There is no regional accreditation (they will often
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


discuss why regional accreditation is narrow-minded,
US-centric, or outmoded).
Accreditation by a vague or international body.
The only way to communicate with them is by phone or a
web-form or email.
Their location is a PO Box or a Suite #.
Usually no list of faculty and credentials.
The time to “earn” the degree is short.
It Could be a Diploma Mill If cont’d …
 It has a name similar to a well-known school.
 It mentions degrees based on “life experience”
or review of a resume.
 Its fees are a lump sum and unusually high or
low for the type of degree.
 It lists a variety of degrees available (HS to
PhD).
 It states that if you don’t see the degree you
want, just fill it in on the order form.
Why Should We Be Concerned?
 They are fraudulent; they are a way for
hucksters to make money while providing no
service.
 They devalue college degrees by making them
available without college-level work.
 They confuse employers and licensing boards.
 They can be dangerous.
 They can be confused with legitimate distance
education schools.
They Can Lead to Embarrassment
Who are the Victims?
 Diploma Mills prey on the innocent and
naive.
 Employers can end up with untrained
employees that are liabilities in more than
one way.
 The public can be harmed by teachers,
engineers, lawyers, therapists and so on who
purchased their degrees.
Where are they?
 They operate in states/countries with lax laws and can
move as necessary if/when those laws change.
 They often operate in more than one state, complicating
the jurisdiction so much that it is difficult to prosecute
them.
 The US is not alone; diploma mills operate freely on all
continents except Antarctica.
 Penalties are slight and worth the multi-million dollar
income; state attorneys general are often not interested.
Bogus “Accrediting” Agencies
 WOEAC – World Online Education Accrediting
Commission
 BOUA - Board of Online Universities Accreditation
 UCOEA – Universal Council for Online Education

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Accreditation
WAUC – World Association of Universities and Colleges
IAAOU – International Accreditation Agency for Online
Universities
AOAEX – Association for Online Academic Excellence
IBOEA – International Bureau of Education Accreditation
BOUA
IAAOU
Types of Diploma Mills
 Those that “reprint” your diploma or just print
you one.
 Those that sell you a degree based on life
experience (and your approved credit card).
 Those that act as brokers for unnamed
institutions (many overseas).
Diploma “Reprints”
 They will print a diploma from any school in
their database.
 No verification that you ever earned the degree
in the first place.
 They are willing to add schools to the list, and
offer monetary incentives to get copies of other
diplomas.
Diploma “Print/Reprint” Sites
 fakediplopmasale.com – offer “reprints” of
diplomas and transcripts
 phonydiploma.com
 diplomareplacementservice.com (contact
only via email)
 diplomamakers.com
 diplomacompany.com
 Backalleypress.com
Buying a Degree
 Award whatever degree you select (as long as you
pay).
 Offer “packages” that contain diplomas, transcripts,
degree/enrollment verifications, and letters of
achievement.
 Supply a toll-free number for verifications that can
be given to potential employers (and it is NOT a
legitimate degree verification organization).
phonydiploma.com school list
Now they use a web form …
In less than 10 minutes…
phonydiploma.com
 Claims to use secure transcript paper that will
say “COPY” or “VOID” if it is copied.
 Will adjust classes on the phony transcript
according to the degree and major.
 Will reproduce emblems, seals, stamps and
logos, but will use in-house signatures (will
charge $10 extra for a Registrar’s signature and
$20 for printing on the back).
backalleypress.com (China)
Florida Atlantic transcript
is used as a sample on
their web site
Degrees for Sale
 They claim to award degree based on life
experiences.
 Degree can be received quickly.
 Evaluation of your “credentials” is done quickly by a
“team” of evaluators.
 They often offer multiple degree “packages”
(Bachelor & Master, or Master & PhD) that can
include degree verifications, fake transcripts, and so
on, in addition to the diploma.
Some Notorious Degree Sellers
 Rochville University (major player)
 Lacrosse University (Bay St Louis, closed ‘07)
 Trinity Institute of Christian Counseling
(“Equipping God’s Healers in the 21st
Century”)
 St Regis University (Liberia, closed)
 Columbus University (Picayune, MS)
 Barrington University (now University of
Atlanta)
 Bernadean University (California)
Rochville University
Rochville University
Then 2 weeks later …..
More Degree Sellers
 Kennedy-Western University
 Ashwood University
 Suffield University
 Madison University (which now is just a
Graduate Records page for verification)
 Almeda University
 Bronte International University (was Trinity
College & University)
 Berkeley International University
Stanley Applied to Ashwood U
Berkeley International
Even holds “graduation”
ceremonies
And More ……….
 Breyer State University (was in AL, then ID, now
a mail box in CA)
 Fort Young University (Liberia)
 Pebble Hills University
 Belford University
 McFord University (has a Presidential Scholarship!)
 Redding University (has a school store)
 Woodfield University
 Lorenz University
 University of the Holy Land
The “Hook”
Stately Buildings
Add degrees to your resume in just 7 days and open avenues
to promotion and better jobs!
QUICKLY succeed by getting
a Bachelor, Master or
Doctorate College Degree in
JUST DAYS with no
coursework.
More Hype …
You have more experience yet your colleague gets promoted?
Many companies where you apply for a job don’t give you a call as you
lack the basic education they require?
You struggle in relationships, as 'she' thinks you don’t have a promising
future?
Why bother with generic looking fake diploma, why not go for the
real deal and get yourself fake degrees that have been
painstakingly created with the utmost care and even if subjected
to close examination our fake diplomas will pass any quality
check, so why take a risk with low quality alternatives, when we
are here to create authentic fake university diplomas for you!
Diploma Brokers
 They screen the prospects and supposedly
match them with institutions.
 Prospects do not know the name of the
institution until the money has been paid.
 Some take PayPal , but most only want credit
cards.
Diploma Brokers
 life-experience-degrees-online.com
 universaldegree.com
 instantDegrees.com (buydegree.org)
 college-degree-fast.com
 instant-degrees.net
 worryfreedegree.com
 speedydegrees.com
Web Sites
 degreeagency.com
 speedydegrees.com
 fakedegrees.com
 phonydiploma.com
 cooldegree.com (plus fake ID’s)
 fakediploma-review.org/home.html (!!!)
 nd-center.com/index.html
 instantdegrees.com
 toeflcelta.blogspot.com
More Web Sites
 diplomareplacementservice.com (was
diplomaprintingservice.net)
 backalleypress.com (in China)
 bogusphd.com (for $59.95)
 diplomamakers.com
 worryfreedegree.com (offers Apostille service)
 bestfakediploma.com
 superiorfakedegree.com
 boxfreeconcepts.com/fake/diplomas.html **
Testimonials
"I have never been offered as many loans by my bank as I have since beginning
to use my Doctoral Title."
Dr. P. Johnson
"Absolutely splendid service, with minimum pain in the wallet !!
I received my Doctorate Degree in 6 days, and am now busy updating my
personal details (cards, passport etc), which will take a whole lot longer than
obtaining my Degree."
Dr. RSC
"I use my Degree ( a Doctorate) as a dating ploy. I had good quality calling
cards professionally printed and I always present them on being introduced to
anyone. Often, I simply introduce myself to a lady I find attractive and offer the
card saying that I would like to meet her for dinner at some future date, if she is
amenable. More often than not, I receive a call." Mark Trenton Ph.D.
More Testimonials
"Thank you a thousand times for the awesome transcript! It photocopies
perfectly like my original Script-Safe school transcript does. No one would go to
this much trouble to get it right like you guys. Really worth the long wait!“
DG, Atlanta, GA
“I was shocked when I received my fake transcript from another site, you are
so much better than xxxxxxx, I feel like an idiot for not purchasing from your
company in the first place, and also thanks for giving a discount to my friend
for his second order.”
Manish, Denver
“I was almost swayed by a fake diploma review not to purchase from your
company but took a chance considering the good quality customer service I have
received, I am so glad that I did decide to go with you as the replica diplomas
that I purchased from your site are 1000 times better than what I got from
xxxxxxxx who claim to be the market leader :)”
Timothy, London
Not Just Higher Ed…..
 Lincoln Academy
 James Madison High School
 PennFord High School
 Continental Academy
 John Adams
 Madison Falls High School
 Alford High School
And just who is Stanley??
Questions ???