www.fakedegree.co.uk/ - One step beyond the diplomas mills

http://www.fakedegree.co.uk/

This is sheer fraud.

At least most diplomma mills have the "decency" to register/use their own trading names, where as these guys are simply photocopying and selling (for top dollar)other uni's degrees/awards.

Indeed, this is Preposterous !!!!

CFr

 

well, I guess, they are just smarter than the "decent" guys. Why spend money on a name if you can sell the goods just any old how.

What puzzles me is that it is not that difficult to print out one's own fake degree, and yet there appear to be lots of idiots out there who will go and pay hundreds of dollars for something they could do themselves.

We live in an amazing world.

 

It is illegal and how can it happen! An address in England is shown in the website.

 

I doubt you could make that quality on your own. I saw in the website a degree from the university that I graduated from and I couldn’t tell the difference, the seal and the signatures were exactly the same.

 

Unfortunatly, it is not illegal. Read the disclaimers on most of the, what is commonly called 'briefcase college sites. They generally state the reproductions are for 'novelty purposes' only. This way, if the consumer uses the parchment for employment purposes, the producer is in the clear. A common ploy.

Cheers,

George

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Virtual Universities of Australasia & the World
www.virtualuniversities.net
[email protected]

 

I'd be suprised if they wheren't in violation of trademark laws at least. If this isn't dilution, I don't know what is.

 

It is purely illegal because the seller knows or has reason to know that the buyer would use the products for fraud. Additionally, it is correct that there are trademark violations.

EsqPhD

 

I beg to differ. I do not in anyway condone this behaviour, but my research suggests that the consumer is liable if they use the degree for employment purposes, not the seller. Brentwick, for example, tell the consumer that they are a degree mill outright - we beleive they tape these conversations as well, just to add ammunition to their case *if* they were taken to task.

As for copies of parchments from legitimate universities, well, I can tell you many of them really don't care. I have e-mailed 4 Australian universities this year telling them that copies of their parchments could be found at various websites. Their response?? Silence...

Cheers,

George

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Virtual Universities of Australasia & the World
www.virtualuniversities.net
[email protected]

 

I'm aware that it isn't the case everywhere, but here in the US diplomas really don't seem to mean very much.

I have never once in my entire life had an occasion to use a diploma. My bachelors diploma is stored in a box in the basement, I think, but I'm not sure where. The only person it ever impressed was my mother. My much more recent DL masters diploma is actually in a frame because I thought it was cool, but I've never really had formal occasion to show it to anyone.

Whenever I have applied for jobs or whatever, I filled in the information in the indicated spot, and I assume that it was verified through contacting the school.

 

It frequently is. My wife did a stint working for a credential verification service during grad school. The schools are contacted and your degrees are verified. Apparently graduation verification is considered a public record and doesn't require permission, but anyway they have you sign a blanket permission form which the service will fax to the school if necessary.

 

I've been told that in some parts of Asia it's common for employers to ask applicants to bring their diplomas.

It's arguable whether selling fake diplomas is in itself illegal. See Brentwick U, Best of the Rest (The Washington Post, Oct 15, 2000) at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3147-2000Oct13.html It takes the position that this is "immoral, maybe, but not illegal" because he (the reporter who purchased a fake diploma) was not defrauded because he knew what he was doing. However, he was been given a tool with which he could commit fraud.

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Kristin Evenson Hirst
DistanceLearn.About.com

 

Kristin,
This is true. When I taught at a liberal arts college in South Korea I had to pry my degrees off the wall and cart them with me. As far as the certification of their authenticity went it was just the fellow at the immigration office and the president of the college eyeballing them. To my knowledge there was no detailed follow up beyond this.

 

I haven't had much experience where my employers or licensing organizations would do that detail of a check on one's academics to the point of calling the school or requesting a written confirmation from them (besides your usual transcripts sent).

I remember the State Bar of California was reviewing my moral character (criminal, eduation, etc.--to practice law) application--they had a question about my working on two masters during the same period--one from Canada and one from the U.S. It was odd I admit. The evaluator called me and asked me if one of the degrees was "correspondence" (thus obviously, they didn't call the school)--I was kind of insulted and quickly told him no. I told him that I was flying back and forth for the studies during different semesters. He took my word for it and it was solved.

I've had several experiences of employment--military (secret clearance but not higher), legal, academic and ministerial--and I didn't recall that they went to the extent of calling or writing the school. In addition to the usual resume, references, etc.--at most, they would ask me to arrange for copies of transcripts to be sent to them. They would never even call my references.

Surprisingly, the institution that did the most detailed check on me was my church denomination, as part of the ordination process. This was probably due to the fact that the priest doing the check used to be a DA investigator.

Could it be that these detailed credential checks are more prevalent in certain industries or for certain types of applicants?

EsqPhD

 

Aside the issue of actual criminal fraud--which may only occur if one takes the fradulent diploma and tries to pass them off as real in certain circumstances only--it should be common sense to understand that if we do indeed have COPYRIGHT AND TRADEMARK LAWS, and if one DOES NOT HAVE PERMISSION to use the copyright and/or trademark (unless an exemption applies), it is illegal in the sense that it breaks the copyright and trademark laws. Now, whether the copyright and/or trademark holder(s) enforce their rights is another issue. But clearly, without permssion, these fake diploma mills and their buyers are breaking the law--at least in the U.S. and the countries that adhere to a similar form of international copyright and trademark laws.

There are also no disclaimers that will exempt the illegality unless there is a statutory exemption and/or proper permission is granted.

EsqPhD

 

Same here, my diplomas are still encased in their (probably fake) leather holders, tucked into my bookshelf.

However, in every case where I've had to "use" my degrees, the PTB required a photocopy of the actual diploma, as well as official transcripts mailed directly from the school.

Bruce

 

I took one position (an executive one, at that) with a company that required you to submit photocopies of all diplomas/degrees earned. The company was required to show to its customers that it everyone it hired had at least a high school diploma (or equivalent). This was a lot cheaper and easier than sending off to thousands of high schools each year requests for information. But I felt pretty silly giving them a copy of my MBA.

Rich Douglas

 

In Germany, it´s quite usual to use your diploma for getting a job (or at least copies of it) - though the official transcripts themselves are a little more common the the sealed final diploma (it was actually pretty much the same at UCLA, where I studied 1 term - you could get transcripts of your passed exams at any time, and the diploma at the end of your studies, right?)...

 

If they were copying music CD's or movies they would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

If all the schools went after these people the way the music or film industry does they would be shut down.

I see no difference between a CD a video or a diploma, the scam artist has NO right to sell what he is selling.


Dan

(my opinion and $4.30 will get you a venti white mocha at STARBUCKS)

 

A degree is a certification. So what would happen if these fake-diploma-mills were selling phony Microsoft certifications? As "novelties" of course.

I think that Microsoft would be a lot more interested than the universities are.

 

There's been some discussion as to whether the seller of the fake degree is able to get away with it by providing a disclaimer that the product is for novelty purposes only.

I know some do just that. The so-called diploma includes some miniscule disclaimer.

In this case however, the web site includes an FAQ with this specific entry:

(Q) Will my document say "Novelty or Entertainment" on it?

NO!! Absolutely not. All the documents I produce are Authentic looking workable items, in the main they are accepted as the genuine article.