Fake Diplomas from Pakistan

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by warguns, May 18, 2015.

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  1. warguns

    warguns Member

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/18/world/asia/fake-diplomas-real-cash-pakistani-company-axact-reaps-millions-columbiana-barkley.html

    At first glance, Axact’s universities and high schools are linked only by superficial similarities: slick websites, toll-free American contact numbers and calculatedly familiar-sounding names, like Barkley, Columbiana and Mount Lincoln.

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    But other clues signal common ownership. Many sites link to the same fictitious accreditation bodies and have identical graphics, such as a floating green window with an image of a headset-wearing woman who invites customers to chat.
     
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    It's good that this is geting some big press.
     
  3. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    First of all, those are some snazzy websites.

    One shouldn't rely on the quality of the website when picking a college. But, let's face it, having a sketchy website with way too many exclamation points is going to probably hurt your business.

    It's good that this is getting big press but the company behind this farce probably just plays a shell game with these names. Once Barkley and Columbiana see an appreciable dip in sales, I have a feeling that a new wave of "universities" will crop up.
     
  4. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    I think reporter Declan Walsh did a fantastic job. He's been working pretty much full time on this story for about six months. It all started when a "deep throat" employee in Pakistan wrote to our degree mills.com website offering to go public.
     
  5. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

  6. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    My favorite:

    When you click "there" to view, it is just a screenshot of a 404 error page at Forbes.
     
  7. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    Pakistan raids 'fake degree factory': officials

    Pakistan raids 'fake degree factory': officials

     
  8. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    NY Times MAY 19
    Pakistani Investigators Raid Offices of Axact, Fake Diploma Company
    By SABA IMTIAZ and DECLAN WALSH

    Axact runs hundreds of websites, many of which purport to be online universities and high schools based in the United States. Credit Sara Farid for The New York TimesKARACHI, Pakistan — Pakistani investigators on Tuesday raided the offices of Axact, a software firm in Karachi that has come under scrutiny for running a global diploma mill that has earned tens of millions of dollars through a network of fake online schools.

    The Pakistani interior minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, ordered the investigation after a report by The New York Times described links between Axact and at least 370 websites, many of which purport to be online universities and high schools based in the United States.

    On Tuesday, investigators from the corporate crimes unit of the Federal Investigation Agency visited Axact’s headquarters in Karachi, as well as smaller offices in Islamabad, the capital, and Rawalpindi, seizing computers and taking in at least 24 people for questioning, several Pakistani law enforcement officials said. (and lots more)
     
  9. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    NY Times Editoria

    The Times apparently will be running a strong editorial on this matter tomorrow or Thursday.

    My co-author Allen Ezell (FBI, retired) said today, "I can't get the FBI to give me the time of day . . . and look at what the Pakistanis are doing."
     
  10. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  11. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  12. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  13. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    A whole slew of these schools shared a common "accreditor" - GABDE. Here's a list, including the three or four named in this thread, e.g. Barkley and Columbiana:

    McKinley University
    Columbiana University
    Fort Jones University
    Nelson Bay University
    Baytown University
    American Gulf University
    Adamsville University
    James Adam University
    Fargo University
    Sanders University
    Port Jefferson University
    Jamesford University
    White Lake University
    Grant Town University
    Kennedy University
    Rochville University
    Payne Springs University
    Arab Women University
    Nixon University
    Nicholson University
    Galewood University
    Queens Bay University
    Bakerville University
    Brooksville University
    Garrington University
    Redding University
    Daylin University
    Pittsford University
    Ashley University
    Madison Hills University
    Barkley University
    Wilford University
    Windham University
    James Harding University
    Kings Lake University
    Pine Hill University
    Hartsdale University
    Redding University
    Camp Lake University
    Mount Lincoln University
    Walker Hill University

    The list was posted in the thread cited below, after a reader noticed the name of the defunct American school, Columbia Pacific U. had been hijacked, inadvertently or otherwise:

    http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/23803-columbia-pacific-universitys-new-homepage.html

    And yes indeed, the websites of these "schools" are a vast improvement (in appearance only) over the previous generation.

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 20, 2015
  14. steve31

    steve31 New Member

    All fake university websites look so real . . they look like an official website . .
     
  15. mbwa shenzi

    mbwa shenzi Active Member

    I've been watching the Rochville empire rise, and now it looks like I get to see it fall: universities, high schools, accreditation boards, and hopefully the fake term paper and essay writing sites too.
     
  16. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I certainly hope so!

    "Every day for thief - one day for the owner." :smile:

    I like your choice of proverbs so much, I stole that one from here: N.I.L (Naijamum in London): Pidgin English Proverbs
    I hope it's appropriate for the Rochville situation.

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 20, 2015
  17. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  18. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  19. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Am I alone in thinking that "Fake Diplomas from Pakistan" sounds like it should be a line in We Didn't Start the Fire?

    Maybe Billy Joel should update it periodically.
     
  20. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Last edited by a moderator: May 28, 2015

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