Don’t get an unauthentic diploma If you’re tempted. It’s illegal and could cause fines and even jail time.
Buying fake degrees is considered academic fraud and infringes on the laws on mail and wire fraud. It can also cause harm to people in some industries, including aviation and healthcare.
Diploma mill scandals
Experts believe that diploma mills are a multi-billion dollar industry. fake degrees are sold across the globe. The fake degrees devalue the legitimate degrees people invest years and thousands dollars acquiring, and could result in personal and professional tragedy. When professionals such as doctors and engineers don’t have the proper training, the public can be exposed to risk. The bogus degree business is difficult to eradicate even with the attention of UNESCO, the U.S. Department of Education, the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission and a multitude of watchdogs.
It’s still in a good place in the US, where the number of degree mills has increased by more than 20 percent in the last year according to the London-based screening firm Verifile. In fact, America has the dubious reputation of being among the most popular places for degree mills to operate. These fake universities give the appearance of legitimacy to their “U.S.” campuses with slick names and websites like Harvey University, Barkley University, and Nixon University.
However, identifying these fakes isn’t easy even with the assistance of a well-trained investigative reporter. In a recent Marketplace test, Peter Ma Lack posed as an applicant for an PhD in biblical counseling at Almeda University and was quickly accepted without providing a resume. It’s hard to locate these mills. However they did exist. US Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York has convicted and sentenced one Pakistani executive Axact to 21 months of prison and $5 million in fines.
Credential fraud examples
With more and more students depend on the internet for education, the number of diploma mills is increasing. This is a problem for businesses, individuals as well as for governments. This issue can also impact the reputation of institutions and poses a major threat to the integrity of academic institutions. Admissions staff, universities and other institutions must be on guard and creative to find lasting solutions. This issue involves bribery as well as fake academic documents, false athletic credentials, and fake transcripts.
It’s vital to note that not all diploma mills are to be the same. The best ones produce legitimate degrees for a reasonable cost, and are usually accredited by legitimate organizations. False degrees at a price that is expensive and then use them to defraud business and students. They also sell fake degrees in some cases to other mills.
The U.S. Secret Service has been implicated in a highly-publicized incident in which a federal employee purchased bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. degrees at an Wyoming mill for degrees. The Secret Service claimed that the individual was using her credentials to gain access to classified information.
Muwafiq al-Ruwaili was a former Saudi Arabian Consultative Council member who has been on a personal mission to fight the practice of degree fraud. He scrutinizes LinkedIn profiles as well as other online sources to spot individuals with fake qualifications. He then mentions them on Twitter using the hashtag #hlkwny (“halkuni” is an Arabic expression for annoyance, meaning “they destroyed me”). He hopes that making his list available to the public will stop the behavior.
Fake university degrees
In today’s world of credentialism, a university degree that sounds impressive is a badge of honor. In addition, a fake university degree will diminish the amount of work that genuine students and professionals put in. This is why it’s essential to be cautious and not get caught in the danger of a fake degree scam. If you’re concerned regarding the legitimacy of your degree There are a variety of ways to check its credibility. Certain companies offer digital track-and-trace solutions to make sure your diploma is genuine. Furthermore, these tools offer a simple and secure way to verify your degree for institutions or employers. But, it is crucial to remember that perfect document security is not attainable. The security features can prevent the tampering of documents, but there are many ways around them.
One of them was an organization called Axact that was alleged to have sold fake degrees at a price of more than $600,000. Axact used school websites that looked like the real thing, using names such as Harvey University, Barkley University and Nixon University. The company also used the same fonts and formats for printing as real universities.
But, with the right tools and tips, you can easily detect a fake university degree. It is possible to ask the body that runs the university for information regarding the institution or an online tool to check the legitimacy of the degree.
Academic Integrity Problems
The worldwide proliferation of diploma mills as well as related academic fraud pose a serious risk to the credibility of higher education. These scams can undermine real credentials, expose students and their families to financial fraudulent risks, and even endanger life in certain fields like medicine and engineering. In addition, they affect the public’s trust in the credibility of higher education institutions and hurt institutions their reputations. This is particularly relevant for international students who are especially vulnerable to fraud in the academic field, and are more likely than other students to be targeted by degree mills.
Universities should be vigilant to maintain transparency and take strict measures to ensure academic integrity issues. The Monash University fake certificate scandal highlights how crucial it is for universities to remain aware and taking action whenever they discover suspicious activities.
Alongside the risks of fake documents Academic plagiarism and misconduct pose grave dangers 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 citing. Academic conduct is a grave offense.
Fake degrees might not be illegal under federal law but they are in violation of the laws against fraud-by-wire and law against mail fraud. Ezell says that only two degree holders have been prosecuted for violating the laws. Faking a degree may also result in criminal and civil penalties, including losing employment or even the revocation of a license.