Goverment Officer obtaining degree from the fake university, how to unmask?

Hi everybody

I am a newcomer of this forum, anyway thank a lot for your useful information here.

The reason why i did some searches about the distance learning and found this forum is some of my friends intend to participate in the MBA course offered by Paramount, Madona, Lincoln... University. I am very suprising that the admission procedures there are so simple that i could not believe. Anyone who is interesting with this MBA course can be the student, i have never seen any case of reject. It seems to me that this is a big business of the degree granting industry.

The worst is a lot of Goverment Officer attending in this kind of course, obtaning the degree and will be promoted to higher position and so on. I hate to see this happen in my country.

Therefore, i would like to ask all of you to give me a favour by providing me some verifiable information about the true face of this kind of university. I try to post it on some newspapers here to let people know what kind of thing these university are.
Thank in advance, everybody
Hope to get your feeback soon

 

Welcome stevekurdzin,

Can you please post the full names of the alleged universities, including any URL (if you know it) so they can be checked out?

Cheers,

George

 

Thank George,
Pls check these university:
1. Paramount University of Technology
2. Lincoln University - www.lincolnuca.edu
3. Madonna University - www.munet.edu

These university are employing students here with very easy conditions for admission. Can you imagine that the MBA degree will be granted by an USA university, but his students don't have to know English? A subject will be started and completed within two days? Students only have to pay money and pass all academic subjects.

A lot of goverment officers are participating in this kind of courses. They will hold the MBA degree sooner or later.
Therefore, if you have verifiable source of information, pls give me.

Thank in advance, hope to get your feedback soon.
Steve

 

I noticed that Lincoln is accredited by Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools , which is recongnized by the US Dept. of Educaton.

The universities I've attended (U. So. Calif., Syracuse, U. of Vermont, Castleton College) have strong requirements before a person may matriculate into a degree program, but almost anyone can take an individual class. So, if the people you are describing are just taking an individual class, and have not been accepted as MBA candidates, then there is nothing unusual about everyone being allowed in.

 

I assume you mean http://www.university.paramount.edu for No.1.

No.1 is only licensed by the State of Wyoming. Nos 2 & 3 are Regionally Accredited, and have a lot more at stake than No.1 (ie federal loan scheme eligibility).

You make some strong allegations, allegations which (if true) could seriously jeopardise the status of these organisations. If you are concerned about these practices, and have evidence it is widespread, then you could lodge a complaint directly with the accrediting agency.

Cheers,

George

PS - Unfortunately, your allegations are but one of many being raised on this board, not about US schools, but schools across the world. Yes, education is a business...however, its the balance between academic standards and the bottomline which is at odds with each other.

 

I wonder if overseas agents aren't misrepresenting the last two schools on this list, since they're clearly RA brick and mortar institutions, and both seem to have on-campus requirements. Lincoln doesn't even offer DL at all from what I can tell.

Sounds more like someone's printing fake diplomas from real small schools . . .

 

I don't know about school #1 or #2.

But, I do know about Madonna University. Madonna University is an RA university. It is a real campus in Livonia, Michigan. I can vouch for Madonna because I attended the school - and lived in the dorm - for a term (and didn't have a problem with the school) a couple of years ago. Madonna is legit.

 

Interesting that Madonna's nickname is "The Crusaders" and that they have a program in the U.A.E. I'll bet that goes over well with the Muslims.

 

For some reason I don't think I should find this as funny as I do.

 

Paramount California University?!

Hi there, I have the same query regarding an online university called Paramount California University, link: Paramount California University

I received an email from the mail id: [email protected]
Mail is titled: Husam Hamid Osman, You have been referred at Paramount California University.''

Summary of my story is that they said on the email that I will pay 0$ enrollment and registration fees, but when I created a profile and chatted with the officials, I found that there are huge fees to be paid. I looked the university up and found a number of articles about it, but I don't know if it's legitimate or not.

Please help.

----------------------
* Mail Text:-

Dear Husam Hamid Osman,

I, Sheikh Mohammed Al Futtaim, have referred you to Paramount California University which is based in California, USA and is one of the top educational institutes providing online education programs.

Being my referral you shall benefit from $0 Enrollment and Registration Fee for the January 1st, 2015 program intake; Click Here to apply at no cost under the exclusive opportunity.

Why Choose Paramount California University?
Education Mode: Online education – Study Anytime, Anywhere. Ideal for working adults.
Faculty: Highly qualified Faculty Members who are top-notch professionals in their respective fields
Global Online Presence: Online presence across the globe with a number of active students in all parts of the world
Active Online Student Community: Encourages involvement of students in important traditions, celebrations and ceremonies
Alumni Network: Large number of alumni spread globally, working in top reputed organizations
Career Services: Exclusive career support services at PCU Career Center

Click Here to apply at PCU.edu with your Enrollment and Registration Fee completely waived on being referred.

For any other queries and/or concerns you may reply to this email or you can also call the university at 1-844-PCU(728)-3380 (toll free).

Regards,
Sheikh Mohammed Al Futtaim,
Student Ambassador
Paramount California University
330 A Street, Suite 300 • San Diego, CA 92612 • USA
1-844-PCU-3380

unsubscribe | forward


This email was sent to [email protected] by [email protected]
Email Services, New York, 10578, United States
I did not give my permission to this sender click here to report.

----------------------

 

cont'd: Paramount California University?!

* Chat text:

Please wait for a site operator to respond.
You are not currently in a chat session.
You are now chatting with 'Dr. H Cooper'.
Husam Hamid: hi
Dr. H Cooper:
Welcome onlin
Dr. H Cooper:
may I help
Husam Hamid: hello
Husam Hamid: I have been referred by Shieky Mohammed Al Futtaim
Husam Hamid: through a mail sent from [email protected]
Dr. H Cooper:
excellent
Husam Hamid: mail text is as bellow
Husam Hamid: Dear Husam Hamid Osman, I, Sheikh Mohammed Al Futtaim, have referred you to Paramount California University which is based in California, USA and is one of the top educational institutes providing online education programs. Being my referral you shall benefit from $0 Enrollment and Registration Fee for the January 1st, 2015 program intake; Click Here to apply at no cost under the exclusive opportunity. Why Choose Paramount California University? Education Mode: Online education – Study Anytime, Anywhere. Ideal for working adults. Faculty: Highly qualified Faculty Members who are top-notch professionals in their respective fields Global Online Presence: Online presence across the globe with a number of active students in all parts of the world Active Online Student Community: Encourages involvement of students in important traditions, celebrations and ceremonies Alumni Network: Large number of alumni spread globally, working in top reputed organizations Career Services: Exclusive career support services at PCU Career Center Click Here to apply at PCU.edu with your Enrollment and Registration Fee completely waived on being referred. For any other queries and/or concerns you may reply to this email or you can also call the university at 1-844-PCU(728)-3380 (toll free). Regards, Sheikh Mohammed Al Futtaim, Student Ambassador Paramount California University 330 A Street, Suite 300 • San Diego, CA 92612 • USA 1-844-PCU-3380
Dr. H Cooper:
that allows you to skip the enrollment fee
Husam Hamid: great
Dr. H Cooper:
and directly commence with the first course fee as you are approved for admissions
Husam Hamid: but the problem is that I dont know how to get use of that
Husam Hamid: i have registered a profile
Husam Hamid: and i'm trying to apply for the following course
Husam Hamid: Masters of Information Technology
Husam Hamid: Masters Degree in Information Technology | Paramount California University
Husam Hamid: but when i click on the Apply Online button
Husam Hamid: it prompts me to submit a new registration form
Husam Hamid: when i add my info
Husam Hamid: it says that mail already exists
Husam Hamid: and there's no option for me to say that i already have an account
Husam Hamid: !
Dr. H Cooper:
ohh
Dr. H Cooper:
Hang on
Dr. H Cooper:
Let me guide you
Dr. H Cooper:
bear with me please
Husam Hamid: ok
Dr. H Cooper:
[email protected]
Dr. H Cooper:
Could you send through your CV please
Husam Hamid: great, just seconds
Husam Hamid: sent
Husam Hamid: you there?
Dr. H Cooper:
Yes
Husam Hamid: did you receive my e-mail?
Dr. H Cooper:
I did
Dr. H Cooper:
and I am introducing you to Mr. Howard Wilson who'd be your program adviser for the same~
You are not currently in a chat session.
Please wait while I transfer the chat to 'Howard Wilson'.
You are now chatting with 'Howard Wilson'.
Howard Wilson:
Hi Husam
Howard Wilson:
how are you?
Husam Hamid: hello Mr. Howard
Husam Hamid: fine thanks
Husam Hamid: and i hope you're doing well
Dr. H Cooper:
Husam please be a little patient
Dr. H Cooper:
We are trying to look up program of relevance for you
Dr. H Cooper:
Would you like to go for an MS in Computer Science / IT
Dr. H Cooper:
or an MBA?
Husam Hamid: the first option is great for me, but regarding the second option (MBA), I heard that there is a major in MBA that is called MBA in Information Technology
Husam Hamid: if there's such an option, I need to see ot
Husam Hamid: it*
Husam Hamid: and see it's course outlines
Husam Hamid: this might help me compare and choose
Please wait while I transfer the chat to 'Dr. H Cooper'.
You are now chatting with 'Dr. H Cooper'.
Dr. H Cooper:
we don't have an MBA in Information Technology, no
Husam Hamid: uhaa
Husam Hamid: great then the MS in IT will be perfect for me and my ambitions
Dr. H Cooper:
excellent
Dr. H Cooper:
let me give you program details
Husam Hamid: ok
Dr. H Cooper:
Eligibility Criteria: Bachelors or Equiv. International Education
Dr. H Cooper:
Program Mode: Online Education
Dr. H Cooper:
Program Completion Time: 8 to 24 months
Dr. H Cooper:
Student & Alumni Area: 24x7 accessible, Live Student & Alumni area
Dr. H Cooper:
Fee Structure Regular
Dr. H Cooper:
Enrollment + Blackboard Activation: $999
Dr. H Cooper:
Total Program Courses: 10
Dr. H Cooper:
Fee Per Course: $999
Dr. H Cooper:
Total Program Fee: $10,989
Dr. H Cooper:
----------------------------------
Dr. H Cooper:
For you there's no admission fee
Dr. H Cooper:
--------------------------------
Dr. H Cooper:
Tuition Fee: $9,990
Dr. H Cooper:
------------------------------------------
Dr. H Cooper:
If you are enrolling now, you'd be entitled for 30-60% financial aid
Dr. H Cooper:
which would mean that the university's scholarship department is going to pay part of your fee and you'd be paying the remaining part of your fee ..
Husam Hamid: uhaa
Dr. H Cooper:
so .
Dr. H Cooper:

Your applicable fee could be anywhere between $3,996 to $6,993
Dr. H Cooper:
if you do apply through the scholarship form now, we only have 10 seats for this month on the non merit based scholarships~
Dr. H Cooper:
------------------------------
Dr. H Cooper:
Courses that you'll be studying :
Dr. H Cooper:
Course Title Course Name
Dr. H Cooper:
CS-044 Networks and Telecommunications
Dr. H Cooper:
CS-058 Information technology
Dr. H Cooper:
CS-392 Computer science
Dr. H Cooper:
CS-417 Computing Concepts
Dr. H Cooper:
CS-605 IT project Management
Dr. H Cooper:
COS-190 Database Management
Dr. H Cooper:
ITE-316 Management Information Systems
Dr. H Cooper:
ITE-596 Information Technology Management
Dr. H Cooper:
COS-740 Advanced Programming
Dr. H Cooper:
ITE-824 Operating Systems Design
Dr. H Cooper:
--------------------------------------------------------
Husam Hamid: ok
Dr. H Cooper:
Let me know if you'd like to apply for the scholarship seat for financial aid, you could apply in confidence since I can confirm the availability of the same.
Husam Hamid: i need to ask a question, regarding my referral
Dr. H Cooper:
wait a minut
Dr. H Cooper:
You will not like to ask anything about the program, fee, education, future prospects. But ... referral?
Husam Hamid: lool i will come to that
Husam Hamid: but to be honest i actually though it will be some kind of full scholarship, as for this year i will not be ready for the fees
Dr. H Cooper:
alright then, thanks for your time today and we will see you around, I believe
Husam Hamid: i just needed to know where did Shiekh Al Futtaim PERSONALLY find my profile? and why did he choose me?
Husam Hamid: he didn't mention that in his mail ..
Dr. H Cooper:
I will ask him next time he comes across, will let you know
Dr. H Cooper:
take care and godspeed~
Husam Hamid: ok for next year, will I be able to get use of this referral? (when I'm ready for the fees)?
Husam Hamid: or is it just valid for this year's program?
Dr. H Cooper:
The answer does not make a difference, does it? Would you enroll now if I say it's valid for this month
Husam Hamid: yes, it makes a difference. I will prepare my self for the next year in terms of financial situation..
Husam Hamid: but however, I'll try to see my sources to try to make it this month!
Husam Hamid: if i get ready soon, whom should I contact? or what should i do?
Husam Hamid: you there?
Dr. H Cooper:
contact me
Dr. H Cooper:
I will try to get you best financial benefit as possible
Husam Hamid: great
Husam Hamid: thx very much
Husam Hamid: ok see you ..
Husam Hamid: thx for your time
Dr. H Cooper:
at your service
Dr. H Cooper:
take care

 

You can not just get a ".edu" URL by going to a URL provider. You must have State and accreditation standing. Any University or college with a ".com" or other designation; was not vetted, accredited or licensed by a State Department of Education for licensure and is more than likely not a valid entity.

 

Not necessarily 100% true. Way back in the early days of the web, an unaccredited school could have a .edu domain. In 2001 that changed, but schools which already had the domain were "grandfathered" regardless of accreditation status - i.e. they could keep the domain. Later, some schools which had been sold / undergone name changes also considered themselves "grandfathered," rightly or wrongly keeping their .edu domains.

Paramount California U. is a case in point. I believe the predecessor school was Pass Christian University (also unaccredited) which had the .edu domain - rightly or wrongly. I think the schools were somehow related - it looks like Pass Christian may have been sold and re-opened as Paramount California; that's what I gleaned from online resumes of some grads who wrote that they started at one and finished at the other.

Both schools had the same website, at different times - www-dot-pcu-dot-edu Prior to both, a completely unrelated school was first to have the same web address - Plantation Christian University, back in the 90s when an unaccredited school could use the domain. This school achieved recognized accreditation, changed its name to University of Ft. Lauderdale and for many years has had a totally different web address. No connection whatsoever with Pass Christian or Paramount. Looks to me that possibly Pass Christian purchased the domain and nobody said they couldn't. Perhaps they passed it in turn to Paramount. And if they did, nobody stood up and said they couldn't.

Paramount California's site vanished when the Axact scandal broke. (Pakistan-originated fraud degree scam.) A couple of journalists covering the Axact story wrote that Paramount California degrees had been sold by the Axact scammers in the Middle East. Some articles reported victims spending as much as $200,000 on unrecognized degrees.

There are links to these stories in these threads:

http://www.degreeinfo.com/accreditation-discussions-ra-detc-state-approval-unaccredited-schools/51199-axact-universities.html
http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/50302-fake-diplomas-pakistan.html
http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/49780-paramount-california-university-trustworthy.html


So:

(1) An unaccredited school can legally use a .edu domain if it had that domain prior to Oct 31 (I think) 2001.

(2) Schools using .com, .org or similar domains may be State-licensed - or NOT. They will definitely not be RA or NA accredited. Up to you to check it out.

(3) As I said in (2) above, there are plenty of State-licensed schools that don't have .edu domains. If they are state-licensed but lack USDoE or CHEA-recognized accreditation, you'll find a .com, .org or whatever designation. A school with such a domain could be legal-but-unaccredited - or it could be a fake. If you're considering any unaccredited school (and there are a dwindling number of reasons you might) then look deeper. Be diligent about checking the State permission. If it's "legal" in the school's state, make sure it's "legal" where you live, for your purposes. And watch for bogus accreditors, while you're at it.

(4) Schools not "grandfathered" that are seeking recognized accreditation can't use the .edu domain until they are accredited. A recent example of this change is Nations University. Shortly after receiving DEAC accreditation, the school's site changed from nationsu.org to nationsu.edu .

Dave, I hope this helps.

J.

 

I wrote; "Schools using .com, .org or similar domains may be State-licensed - or NOT. They will definitely not be RA or NA accredited."

Exception: Any school approved by the New York State Board of Regents. That's State Approval and excellent USDoE - recognized Institutional Accreditation rolled into one. (Thanks, Neuhaus. :smile Some of their programs involve diverse and very prestigious organizations, e.g. Christie's and Sloan-Kettering, so I'm guessing you might find some extremely high-quality NYSBOR-approved programs under a domain other than .edu.

J.

 

Perhaps the OP has been targeted by local "recruiters."
Old 2005 thread on a school he mentioned, here: http://www.degreeinfo.com/accreditation-discussions-ra-detc-state-approval-unaccredited-schools/18700-acceptable-norm-us-accredited-university.html

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose? :smile:

J.

 

The Madonna U. site given doesn't work (404). As far as I can tell, we're not talking about the US school of the same name. Does Steve (the OP) perhaps mean he's had a solicitation regarding the Nigerian school, also called Madonna University? I know nothing about it except that Madonna U. (Nigeria) states it has had 14 of its 18 programs fully accredited by the NUC (Nigerian Universities Commission) and the others all received Interim accreditation. That school is at Home

Or does Steve mean a third Madonna U. I haven't found yet - or that has ceased operation? Steve, please give us any info on "Madonna U." that might lead us to the right one.

J.