It’s easier than ever to buy fake diplomas without any hassle. In fact, many companies can get you a fake diploma in just days. However, the ease of creating fake college diplomas has led to a deluge of online companies trying to tap into this growing market. Some sell fake diplomas that you know are fake, and some sell what you think is a real education, but is actually a scam.
The global economic downturn is part of what is fueling this added interest in fake degrees. The job market is incredibly competitive, and going to college is just too expensive for most people. Many people start a college degree only to run out of money half way through—or just a few credits shy. One area that has grown thanks to the bad economy are online fake institutions that claim you can get an GED, associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree in just weeks. Once they collect their fee and throw a couple of easy assignments at you, they throw you a degree that isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.
Don’t think that only desperate or foolish people fall for such a thing. Laura Callahan, a former senior director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was forced to resign her post after it was discovered that three of her degrees were obtained from a diploma mill. She proudly updated her biography to include her new PhD degree and even insisted co-workers call her “doctor.” But Hamilton University, where she obtained her fake degree, is a well-known diploma mill. These mills offer what appear to be legitimate degrees based, in part, on life experiences and often have names that are similar to real institutions of higher learning. These online fake degrees often come from what appear to be accredited universities. Unfortunately, even the accrediting institutions are fake and often set up by the bogus college itself. People end up with a online accredited fake degree—that isn’t even really accredited.
When people buy a fake college degree on the Internet, they know it’s fake. However, many people receive a fake degree from a fake college believing what they have is real, leading to embarrassment and possible dismissal.
The global economic downturn is part of what is fueling this added interest in fake degrees. The job market is incredibly competitive, and going to college is just too expensive for most people. Many people start a college degree only to run out of money half way through—or just a few credits shy. One area that has grown thanks to the bad economy are online fake institutions that claim you can get an GED, associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree in just weeks. Once they collect their fee and throw a couple of easy assignments at you, they throw you a degree that isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.
Don’t think that only desperate or foolish people fall for such a thing. Laura Callahan, a former senior director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was forced to resign her post after it was discovered that three of her degrees were obtained from a diploma mill. She proudly updated her biography to include her new PhD degree and even insisted co-workers call her “doctor.” But Hamilton University, where she obtained her fake degree, is a well-known diploma mill. These mills offer what appear to be legitimate degrees based, in part, on life experiences and often have names that are similar to real institutions of higher learning. These online fake degrees often come from what appear to be accredited universities. Unfortunately, even the accrediting institutions are fake and often set up by the bogus college itself. People end up with a online accredited fake degree—that isn’t even really accredited.
When people buy a fake college degree on the Internet, they know it’s fake. However, many people receive a fake degree from a fake college believing what they have is real, leading to embarrassment and possible dismissal.