It seems that just a few days ago there was a discussion of Belford here: http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?t=28335&highlight=belford and already, someone with a Belford degree (along with Western States and a couple of other frauds) has been busted: http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?s=8674699 Seems like this reporter is doing a really good job with this!
I once read a quote from Dr. Bear which stated that half of all people in the U.S. claiming a doctorate have fake degrees. That is a staggering and disturbing statistic.
Do you think that statistic still holds true? Given the number of professors running around with doctorates that would be a whole lot of fakers.
I think it's possible. Operation Golden Seal, a federal crackdown on a diploma mill ring, snagged a list of nearly 10,000 people who purchased degrees from mills. There were a lot of fake doctorates on that list.
Yes, you're correct. And as the cited thread indicates, there are, in fact, just about that many fakers documented. Wake up to the fact that there are more frauds in your world than you were comfortably willing to admit. http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?t=28500
I just found this: http://newspapertree.com/news/3454-police-blotter-2-12-09-bank-robber-nabbed-fbi-says-powder-sent-to-offices-not-harmful-first-homicide-arrest-top-collision-intersections-17-year-old-shot-self
tick-tick-tick... Actually I have found this to be all too common in Texas law enforcement. Some departments pay more to officers with degrees, even if earned after hire. Few it seems bother to check out the schools too thoroughly.
I suspect it is more true for non-professors than it is for professors. In industry it is probably easier to run around and call yourself a "Dr." with a fake degree than it is to get by Human Resources at a college or university.
Although there have been a few cases (one or two that were discussed here on degreeinfo) of a couple professors who were hired at their respective schools with masters degrees, got bogus doctorates which they then added to their credentials, and got busted for it. Steve Levicoff used to put it rather eloquently, something about if you have a beautiful multi-layer cake but the icing is made of shit, the whole cake is basically shit. (the icing being the doctoral degree...) The other interesting thing I've noticed anecdotally is a very, very large percentage of the people that represent themselves as naturopathic physicians or holistic health practitioners have bogus degrees. I used to work in the holistic health field, and I made a point of always asking any ND or Ph.D I met where they went to school. Some dodged the question, but most proudly mentioned their (fraudulent) alma mater. In one case, an ND told me he went to Westbrook and proceeded to tell me about his internship and residency. I responded and said I wasn't aware that Westbrook had any residency programs, that I thought they were only a distance school. He promptly changed the subject
Hey I had a prof who asked us to call him DOCTOR...now is resume just says masters...I wonder what happened?
I find it interesting that ANYONE would think you could "order" a bachelor's degree much less a "doctorate." If it were that easy . . . please! Too Much! I will tell this story: I was in Jr. College many years ago...that's right, Jr. College. I showed some materials regarding the fake LaSalle univerity in New Orleans to my advisor to see if he could sniff out the problem. NO LUCK - he thought is was interesting that I could get a bachelors degree and perhaps other degrees that fast. I tell this story to say, we need to educate undergraduate and even high school counselors to these dangers. Education credentialization is important! We that care, I count myself amongst those, must not settle! Thanks for this thread.
Pleading ignorance to buying a degree for $500 where you can make up your own GPA, etc? You have GOT to be kidding - and then to think that someone defends this bafoon's actions? One person should be fired (obvious) and another (HR) should have their knuckles rapped for not properly checking credentials.
I am a customer, and I want "A's." Don't you understand the customers' satisfaction of Marketing 101? hahahahaha Well, honestly...I don't know how people purchase bogus degree. Then later claim they are the victims.