by Michael Chesbro

Created on: May 21, 2007

Diploma Mills are nothing more that scam artists and con men who are more interested in taking your money than providing you with a quality education.

The United States Congress has found that the safety of the American public is particularly endangered by the sale of fraudulent degrees, and that the preeminence of the United States in science and engineering, as well as the prestige and reputation of American universities, is threatened by the trafficking of fraudulent degrees, diplomas, and certifications. (109th Congress, 2006)

It is important to be aware of the warning signs of a Diploma Mill, and take steps to ensure you don't get scammed. The use of an illegally issued, fraudulent, or substandard degree can result in embarrassment as well as possible civil and criminal liability.

WARNING SIGNS

One should be particularly aware of degree scams that offer you credit for your life experience and current work, giving you an immediate degree all for a few hundred dollars and perhaps requiring a short paper of no more than a couple thousand words.

Another warning sign that an institution is issuing fraudulent, substandard, or illegal degrees is if they make it a point to explain why their degrees are "bonafide legitimate degrees." While a truly legitimate college or university will normally identify its accreditation it is highly unlikely that it will have to stress why its degrees are "bonafide and legitimate". Only an institution issuing fraudulent degrees needs to attempt to convince you of their legitimacy.

It is important to confirm the physical address of any school before you enroll. A legitimate college, university, or seminary will have a physical business address, even if it is set up to provide only on-line study. Any institution using a mail drop address is almost certainly issuing fraudulent and illegal degrees. You should be able to visit the institution that will grant your degree. If the offices of the college, university, or seminary are a back room or basement in somebody's home, the degree is almost guaranteed to be substandard, and is most likely being illegally issued.

Beware of any institution that offers a one-time only tuition cost to you:' each degree is only $$$, get a second degree at half-price, $$$', or any similar come-on where you simply purchase your degree for a flat fee.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (2005) "Most diploma mills charge a flat fee, require little course work, if any, and award a degree based solely on work

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• Next Page >>