Diploma Mill Scams: Spotting the Red Flags
The practice of handing out fake diplomas and degrees to people is far from new. In fact, the earliest known diploma mill was exposed in the late 19th century – almost 140 years ago. But it’s not surprising that it’s easier to get tricked into paying for a fake education certificate now than ever before. Not only has the internet made these scams easier, higher education is also more important. You hear everywhere that the bachelor’s degree is the new diploma, and that it’s becoming impossible to get hired at even a semi-decent job without one. And yet, according to the New York Times, the average American household income fell 7 percent in the last decade while the cost of college rose 18 percent. Everywhere, people are looking for online colleges as alternatives to spending four years and thousands upon thousands of dollars to get a degree. But how do you know if the degree is worthless?
1. Research Accreditation
It used to be that you could spot a diploma mill scam simply by finding out the online school you’re applying to is not accredited. But now, so-called “accreditation mills” have become the norm, where a fake school advertises being accredited by a completely fake agency that they made up themselves. Even if the school claims to be international, you should never give money to any educational organization that is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. International schools can be accredited, so don’t let them tell you any differently. Another way to spot phony schools is to check the faculty listings, because sometimes the teachers are listed as having attended bogus schools, too.
