Threat of the Week: Graduate Academy of Management

I had a similar reaction to both MENALEGAL and GMISANARSE. Both of them have an agenda. I sense that there's more going on here than I can see, that Degreeinfo might be catching spillover from a battle that's been taking place elsewhere, between unknown parties. It makes me slightly uneasy.

That being said, I'm definitely in agreement with the general thrust. None of these various "certifications" have much credibility, at least to my layman's eye. They might be legal, but they don't seem to be very meaningful.

 

Wow that is really sneaky (in the worst way possible)! To be honest, if I weren't a member here, I would be duped in a heartbeat.

 

I have no particular bone to pick with George Mentz in particular and I am not aware who MENALEGAL is nor have I any interests in the Middle East/Dubai.

My passion is simply exposing the likes of Mentz and his and similar organisations.

As you rightly state the general thrust is about the credibility of these certifications which may or may not be legal in the US but certainly are not in all jurisdictions.

 

Legal Action against AAFM / George Mentz for Libel.

Note to all readers. Legal action is about to take place against AAFM and George Mentz for libel.

Here is the summary of the email to AAFM.

I noticed the following on your website.

http://www.mastersofthesecrets.com/Counterfeit%20Hong%20Kong%20cert.pdf.

This is clearly fraudulent. No such certificate exists. I did not sign any such certificate. My name as been taken and has been used in a fraud, and publicised worldwide by George Mentz and AAFM. This is libellous, I am surprised but not shocked that you would resort to this, and then publicise in on your website.
You have accused me in a public forum of criminal acts. I will not stand for this as it may have an impact on my career and family.
I will be taking legal action against you in USA and as I am going to Asia next week, I am going to file charges against you for this libel.

You have gone too far this time. I have no idea what Mr Brett King will do but I suspect he will feel the same way.

And I wont hide behind some stupid forum name (Education lawyer). This is Steve Wylie telling Mr George Mentz that he has gone too far this time.

 

My apologies - I was posting here without the authority of my employer TECOM (www.tecom.ae). My name is Hilton Symes ([email protected]) and I am a contract legal representative to TECOM (Free Zone operations) and the KHDA (Knowledge and Human Development Authority) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. You can also refer to Gerard Hobby, Group Chief Legal Counsel.

For the public record, one of the largest event organizers in the Gulf, IIR quit their association with Mentz in early 2009 because of these considerable issues. AAFM's international partners operating as a legitimate non-profit out of Hong Kong, rebranded as the International Academy to distance themselves from Mentz. The company under the brand AAFM owned by Mentz was subsequently deregistered in the UAE. He now claims some alliance with a group in Yemen or Amman.

I hope this is sufficient enough information to establish the veracity of ones claims.

 

I haven't been paying too much attention to this stuff, maybe someone else has and they can fill in the blanks. I'm just thinking..."Let the games begin!"

 

Hi Hilty - Welcome to degreeinfo! I can not imagine why anyone with any real legal stature would play out their hand on a internet discussion forum. You can claim to be anyone you'd like but I can't understand why you'd come online to discuss an active case. Very unprofessional. You'll never get my business.
BTW, my real name is Natalie Portman. You can read all about me here: http://www.natalieportman.com/npcom.php

 

Well this thread looks like fun.

 

The plot thickens! Good for you for standing up for yourself!

 

Nice one Poacher but make sure you follow through with your threats as the likes of Mentz thrive on no-one going the whole hogg.

Just to add to the openness here my name is James Thom. I am not a lawyer, just an amateur sleuth.

 

Poacher - I have done some further sleuthing for you

These certificates, as I assume you know, have been issued in various guises since around 2003 originally by the Institute of E-Commerce Consultants Ltd which is now known as the International Academy of Project Management Ltd. These are legal entities in Hong Kong and can be verified on website http://www.icris.cr.gov.hk/csci/ .

Further searches will establish George Mentz is not and has never been a Director of this company and ergo his accusations are as you say libellous.

Mentz is clearly off track by accusing you of issuing fake certificates in a company’s name that he has nothing to do with but is one I assume you work for and as can be found on http://www.icris.cr.gov.hk/csci/ has a Director call Brett Andrew King who is the other named individual in this libel.

Ergo as far as I understand it these certificates are genuine, are issued legally under Hong Kong Law by a company called International Academy of Project Management www.theiapm.org which at first examination appears to be above board, runs genuine courses/seminars and does not have through its website any way that one can buy certification without undergoing formal courses and examination unlike Mentz’s certificate Mills www.aapm.info, www.certifiedprojectmanager.org, www.projectmanagementcertification.org, www.businesscertification.org, and on and on and on

I know some good lawyers in Hong Kong if you need any names.


JT

 

All those TMs make the "credentials" look bought.

Suposing the JD and MBA are legit, those are incredibly impressive feats on their own... but are clouded by the inclusion of all of those umcertifications.

Not judging his buisness here (I have no information to do so), it would look much more respectable and professional if he didn't bother adding all of that mess to his signature.

 

Originally posted by GMISANARSE
WHY IS THE LAWYER FOR AAFM SENDING OUT CONGRATULATION LETTERS ON BEHALF OF HIS 'CLIENT' ??????

The answer is fairly simple. Mentz is not acting as a lawyer - he is the owner of the AAFM and AAPM and too many other websites to remember. All of them offer the same thing. Send money and I will give you a piece of paper that I call a certification by a "Board of Standards". In fact ther same Board of Standards is listed for about 3 of the entities.

There is another discussion group addressing the same issues, http://www.degreediscussion.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&p=54790
Not only are they the same issues but the same individual.

 

I can't find any of these trademarks registered anywhere.

Anyway - the last laugh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypl4yp-SPcM

 

Wow... he must be friends with Kevin Trudeau.

Ironically, this guy is actually a fraud attourney .

And this thread show up on the first page for the Google query "George AND Mentz AND fraud"

 

Re: Steve Wylie's accusations

While Mr. Wylie tries to make a case as having been the victim of a fraud, it's interesting to note the following:

Mr. Mentz, on his site is accusing the IAPM of fraud and pointing to the very same pdf file Mr. Wylie cited. Apparently the IAPM name and logo belongs to Mr. Wylie and the "Certified E-Commerce Consultant" designation belongs to Mr. Mentz.

The IAPM (International Academy of Project Management) name is a blatant rip-off on the IPMA (International Project Management Association, which is the oldest PM association worldwide. It was formed in about 1965.

The IAPM offers the CIPM (tm) designation which is the Certified International Project Manager. This is the same designation (and tm) that Mr. Mentz offers.

Mr. Mentz offers the MPM (Master Project Manager) designation. The IAPM offers the MIPM (Master International Project Manager.) On one IAPM page however, they list the designation as the MPM, not MIPM.

As far as I can tell, the only way to actually obtain a certification from the IAPM is to go pay for and attend one of their courses, which are taught primarily by Mr. Wylie. And the only credentials he seems to hold which qualify him to do this are those issued by Mr. Wentz (CIPM, MPM, MFP, etc.)

Mr. King, also mentioned in the post, along with Mr. Wylie were both ranking 'Members' and event trainers for Mr. Mentz until they parted ways, apparently for selling certifications on the side.
read this - http://www.financialanalyst.org/king.html
then this - http://www.aapmapac.com/iapm-press-release.php?id=6
I love the part where they call out Mr. Mentz and blatantly expose him as being a one-man show. If anyone would know.....

IAPM claims an affiliation with Thomas Jefferson School of Law, which coincidentally is also where Mr. Mentz claims his affiliation.

Continued 'certification' in the IAPM only requires being current on dues. No continuing education required.

Mr. Mentz owns the AAPM and the AAFM. Mr. Wylie apparently owns the IAPM and the IAFM. Coincidence?


Just some good old-fashioned mus-slinging by two shills.

I, like others here was approved as a MPM and CIPM by Mr. Mentz after only sending in my resume as well (to the AAPM site.) I sent it in for the MPM certification and was told that I had been approved for both (even though I had not requested it.) Conveniently, this additional certification would cost another $300. Never bought them. Later I sent in my resume to his GAM site to see what would happen. I received an email telling me that after I made a 'good faith' payment for the other two certifications 'they' would review my application for the Management certifications.
So, the Graduate Academy of Management would not review my application until I had made a payment to the American Academy of Project Management?
But I'm sure they're not connected.

 

I thnk you will find that the IAFM and IAPM are both registered not for profit orgaanisations

 

Which means absolutely nothing. A not-for-profit or a nonprofit, at least in the US, can be established simply by filing with the state and paying a fee.

Now... a *tax exempt* not-for-profit is an entirely different can of worms and requires documenting in pretty fine detail quite a number of things, and that actually does imply at least a certain air of legitimacy.

 

On a Side Note: I'm in love

 

Gentlemen. Contrary to the generally accepted view in the US there are actually other law systems, something of which Mentz is quite clearly unaware. A not for profit in the British system is an entity that:

* are self-governed by a board of trustees or ‘managing committee’/ governing council, comprising individuals who generally serve in a fiduciary capacity;
*produce benefits for others, generally outside the membership of the organisation; and
*are ‘non-profit-making’ i.e. they are prohibited from distributing a monetary residual to their own members.