More than 180 people from across the Gulf have been blacklisted for holding fake US academic certificates allegedly bought from non-accredited institutions, including 69 from Saudi Arabia and 68 from the UAE.

Almost 10,000 people in total have been blacklisted by the US Department of Justice for purchasing fake high school and college degrees from a “degree mill” based in Washington.

According to reports, those named include hundreds of people with links to the US military, educational institutions, government and security agencies such as the CIA.

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A long list of people who had purchased or attempted to purchase fake university diplomas in the United States has spurred the Saudi education authorities to launch an investigation into the issue of Saudis and expatriates who may be working in the Kingdom on counterfeit certificates.

However, Shoura Council member Abdullah Al-Tuwairqi called the reaction to the list “disappointing,” and expressed concern that education officials would have a death-by-committee mentality in addressing the issue.

The Spokesman-Review newspaper in Washington state recently obtained and posted online a list of nearly 10,000 names of people who had spent $7.3 million on purchasing or attempting to purchase fake diplomas from an illegal operation. The US Department of Justice shut down the illegal enterprise and compiled a list of its clients. The list was then leaked to the newspaper, which posted it online at: http://www.spokesmanreview.com/data/diploma-mill/.

The list contains at least 70 Saudis, or persons who listed their country of residence as Saudi Arabia. For example, one of the names on the list is a Saudi woman who bought degrees in obstetrics and gynecology. The newspaper reported that US federal investigators do not know if the woman is currently working as a medical doctor in the Kingdom.[...] According to Al-Watan, there are roughly 18 branches of unauthorized universities, with over 5,000 students in the Kingdom. Last year, 70 staff members at different girls’ colleges around the Kingdom were fired for having fake diplomas.

source: http://makkah.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/fake-degree-scam-in-gulf-and-saudi-arabia/

Don’t waste your time or your money on a fake degree scam. Learn the difference between an accredited online degree university and a diploma mill. Make sure the online degree program you choose is accredited.

Most education experts agree that earning a good reputation is one of the biggest obstacles for online degree programs today. Many accredited online universities offer hardworking adults solid educations and an excellent learning experience. Thanks to the problems caused by fake degree scams and diploma mills, though, many accredited online degree programs are getting a bad rap.

Although a few diploma mills have been in the news lately, the majority of people have never heard of them, and even fewer people know how to identify a diploma mill from an accredited degree program. Because of this, some employers are becoming even less trustful of online degree programs, and are being very cautious about hiring people with online degrees.

Spotting a fake degree scam or diploma mill is often much easier than you might think. First, if the university demands contact entirely by phone or email, and demands that you submit your documents via email and refuse to give you a physical address, this can be a red flag.

In addition, if an online degree program offers you a degree based solely on credit for “life experience”, without being expected to do any course work, the program is almost certainly unaccredited. Don’t expect to pay several hundreds or thousands of dollars and earn a college degree a few weeks after you apply. Legitimate universities just don’t work that way.

Finally, if you search online using a major search engine, you will often find results from Wikipedia or education boards warning people about these universities. Most importantly, however, check out the college’s accreditation. Many quality consultation sites, such as www.Degree.com, refuse to even list unaccredited colleges or universities, so that potential students aren’t misled by these scams.

If they can’t prove they’re accredited through an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education, don’t spend your money. (For a complete list of accrediting agencies authorized by the Department of Education, visit http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg7.html).

Sacramento, California May 20, 2006

Recently, some scam artists have been offering to sell students degrees from accredited traditional and online universities. They forge degree certificates and transcripts with the student’s name, and the student then holds a degree certificate stating that he or she has graduated from an accredited online university or traditional college degree program.

These schemes can be a little harder to spot, but the forgeries usually aren’t of professional quality, and the certificates don’t look quite right. Furthermore, be aware that in the U.S. it is illegal to use forged documents to get a job, and you might find yourself in some serious trouble if you try this approach.

Earning a degree from an accredited online degree program may take a little longer, but it’s worth the extra investment of time and money. Don’t ruin your reputation and your career by turning to a fake degree scam. Make sure the degree program from which you graduate is an accredited online university. You’ll be glad you did.

source: http://scoop.degree.com/2009/05/20/how-to-spot-a-fake-online-degree-program/