Parkwood University, a new diploma mill name

Much has been written about the spam-fueled internet diploma mill that was originally called the University of San Moritz. Over the last 3 or 4 years it has added new "school" names every few months, typically when one of the earlier ones gets public attention.

From a few Emails received this week, it seems the latest name in the series in Parkwood University.

For the record, the names they have used include:
University of San Moritz
University of Palmers Green
Harrington University
Brentwick University
Devonshire University
Shelbourne University
Glencullen University
Parkwood University

American-owned, UK addresses, Romanian spamming and telemarketing service, Israeli printing, Cyprus banking to the tune of at least $2 million a month.

Am I missing any? Not sure, I realize, about
Ravenscroft University
Thornehill University

 

What about Ravenhurst?

http://64.55.192.251/index.html

The contact information consists of one lonely email address with no phone number or mailing address. The name appears top be a variant of Ravenscroft.

 

Fake degrees

A German Internet Service ("WiWi-Online") reported about this whole degree mill thing just yesterday:

http://www.wiwi-online.de/artikel/201/201.phtml?bereich=1



Besides the already named fake universities of the "Glencullen Connection" it openly names

the two Swiss Fake Universities
"Freie Universität Teufen" and "Freie University Herisau"

and the Fake Universites
"University of Louisiana" aka "AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SURINAME aka "American International University" operating from Germany

as Degree Mills!



The article furthermore points out that the newest "trend" of the "Glencullen Connection" seems to be not to sell degrees from fake universities, but mre and more fake degrees from REAL universities (including a few German state universities) which is rather alarming since most European countries do not hold any online-connection between the different universities to check up legitimacy of one´s degree...



Greets from Germany,

Trigger

 

When those responding to the veritable plethora of email spam offering quick degrees request additional information, they are currently being directed to Shaftesbury University (no play on words, please ) whose Web site is http://www.shaftesbury.ac .

(On a purely technical note, and what must surely be just an oversight, the url contains the academic suffix .ac but not the requisite country code (i.e. .uk).)

Too new to be listed on any Internet search engines, it appears to be the latest attempt of the gang who chooses prestigious sounding British names for their GAAS passing institutions to “fly under the radar.”

Moreover, to further enhance the prestigious nature of the degrees, and to better entice those seeking a prosperous future, Shaftesbury University seems to be the only institution currently affiliated with the ostensibly impressive (but otherwise completely unofficial and superbly elusive) European Committee for Home and Online Education (ECHOE).

 

Re: Re: Parkwood University, a new diploma mill name

The .ac top level domain is Ascension Island, which may soon become synonymous with diploma mills!

 

The information at nic.ac would certainly seem to support your opinion.

 

Re: Re: Re: Parkwood University, a new diploma mill name

And although a few GAAS passing institutions have chosen to locate themselves on the island of Dominica, I doubt we will soon see these institutions using the suffix .dm in their url.

 

Re: Fake degrees

I think it is nothing to do with The University of Louisiana System ( http://www.uls.state.la.us/main.htm ) nor any of its constituent universities.

 

John Bear wrote:

> Not sure, I realize, about
> Ravenscroft University
> Thornehill University

There is (now) a "Thornill University" (no "e" after "Thorn"):
http://www.thornhilluniv.org
The Website is copied (with an incomplete name change) from "Sacramento Regent University":
http://www.sacramentouniv.org

Sacramento Regent's domain has the only contact Hezy Armon in Israel, but Thornhill is more international:

Domain ID103434206-LROR
Domain Name:THORNHILLUNIV.ORG
Created On:11-Dec-2003 10:16:13 UTC
Last Updated On:10-Feb-2004 03:52:39 UTC
Expiration Date:11-Dec-2004 10:16:13 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:R41-LROR
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:GCorg2358co75347
Registrant Name:Bob Alexander
Registrant Street1:na
Registrant City:Thornhill
Registrant State/Province:na
Registrant Postal Code:11111
Registrant Country:GB
Registrant Phone:+1.1234567
Registrant FAX:+972.39529174
Registrant Email:[email protected]
Admin ID:GC2358co39199
Admin Name:Zeke Armon
Admin Street1.O.B 0000
Admin City:Miami
Admin State/Province:FL
Admin Postal Code:11111
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.1234567
Admin Email:[email protected]
Admin ID:GCorg2358co75348
Admin Name:Bob Alexander
Admin Street1.O.B 0000
Admin City:Thornhill
Admin State/Province:n/a
Admin Postal Code:11111
Admin Country:GB
Admin Phone:+1.1234567
Admin Email:[email protected]
Tech ID:GC24co7529
Tech Name:Moshe Fogel
Tech Street1OB 4602
Tech City:Rishon Lezion
Tech Postal Code:75103
Tech Country:IL
Tech Phone:+972.39412458
Tech Email:[email protected]
Tech ID:GCorg2358co75349
Tech Name:Bob Alexander
Tech Street1.O.B 0000
Tech City:Thornhill
Tech State/Province:FL
Tech Postal Code:11111
Tech Country:GB
Tech Phone:+1.1234567
Tech Email:[email protected]
Name ServerNS2.ECOHOSTS.COM
Name ServerNS1.ECOHOSTS.COM

Whether it's connected with the Romanian mill's "Thornewood University", I can't say.

 

Here's a "Police Officer. International Web Police" with two Parkwood University degrees:
http://nima.artshost.com/aboutme.htm

 

Here's a faculty member listed at Latin American Bible Institute with a Parkwood degree:
http://www.labi.edu/faculty_list.asp

Latin American Bible Institute has "articulation agreements with Vanguard University of the Assemblies of God and Azusa Pacific University whereby students can transfer their credits and obtain an accredited B.A in Ministry and Leadership."
http://colleges.ag.org/college_guide/labi_ca.cfm

 

Thornhill University's tech contact is Moshe Fogel.

 

www.ashbourneu.org
www.universityofdevon.org
www.thornhilluniv.org

Some similarity here!