Degree or Deceit? Understanding the Risks of Online Degree Fraud
As education shifts to online methods of delivery, there has been a rise in “degree mills.”
These are fake or outright unaccredited educational institutions that also offer unaccredited or fake diplomas.
This results in degree fraud, which can result in several terrible consequences, like risking one’s job, facing legal penalties, and damaging one’s reputation—all in addition to the wasted money.
In this article, we’ll tackle what degree fraud is and how to spot a degree mill, so you can better protect yourself from fraudulent education.
What is Degree Fraud?
Degree fraud is defined as the sale or use of unaccredited or forged credentials.
So both unaccredit degree mills and their graduates using the degrees conferred by them are both guilty of degree fraud.
One can also commit degree fraud by simply generating or printing a fake diploma or degree certificate, though that is less common.
Degree mills will often sell diplomas or certificates without any legitimate academic requirements and lack recognition and accreditation from authorities.
Why Do People Fall for Fake Degrees?
The notion that college degrees will guarantee greater career success is still well and alive. Not to mention that they remain symbols of intellect and prestige.
And so people either intentionally enrol in degree mills with clear intentions of committing degree fraud, or they are unintentionally roped into them by the lure of a fast, cheap, and easy path to a degree.
After all, authentic degrees are not only expensive but also time and energy-consuming (often taking 3-5 years). Not to mention that you have to pass the academic requirements, regardless of the time and money you’ve spent.
Degree mills will print out a diploma for you at a fraction of the effort and cost, all while marketing themselves to vulnerable people with professional branding and fake testimonials.
How to Spot a Degree Mill
So how do you spot a degree mill? Fortunately, there are several obvious signs if an organisation is a degree mill.
- No Recognised Accreditation
Research if the school has official accreditation from the government. For example, if you’re from England, see if they are officially included in the Office for Students (OfS) Register.
- Minimal Academic Work
If a programme gives you a degree in a matter of weeks (or less) with little to no academic requirements—and especially if all coursework is done online—then it’s almost certainly a fraud.
- Flat Fee for Diplomas
Legitimate educational institutions charge per credit or semester, while degree mills will have one-time payments or even offer discounts for bulk purchases.
- Questionable Faculty and Alumni
As part of their marketing, degree mills may display faculty and alumni with impressive credentials. A quick search will often reveal if these are authentic or not.
The Consequences of Using a Fake Degree
Using a fake degree has severe, long-lasting, and even life-altering consequences, like:
- Professional Consequences
Employers always verify their workers’ and applicants’ degrees. They will never hire someone with a fake degree. And they will fire and blacklist anyone caught with fake degrees.
This causes serious reputational damage and will make it incredibly hard to find other jobs.
- Legal Issues
Depending on the place, individuals can face fines or even criminal charges if they are proven to be using a fake degree. This is especially true if it has already been used to get a job or a promotion—or worse, used to market themselves as experts or licensed professionals.
- Financial Loss
While degree mills are considerably less expensive than legitimate schools, they still aren’t cheap. Also, consider the long-term financial loss of degree fraud due to its potentially career-destroying consequences.
- Personal Integrity
Being caught with a fake degree is embarrassing, to put it simply. It can impact your reputation with colleagues, family, and friends.
How to Protect Yourself
Avoiding degree fraud starts with simple research and vigilance. Here’s what students should do to avoid getting into degree mills.
- Verify Accreditation
Use official government resources like the OfS Register to verify a school’s accreditation.
- Examine Programme Requirements
Check a school’s website, particularly the degree programmes you’re interested in. Legitimate degree programmes will have coursework and other academic requirements clearly outlined.
- Reviews and Public Reputation
If you’ve never heard of a school from reputable sources, then it might be a degree mill. Additionally, reviews on third-party sites can reveal red flags about degree mills.
- Practice Cybersecurity
Degree mills often use targeted ads to lure people. Using VPNs will encrypt your data, protecting you from targeted ads while you research schools.
You might be wondering, “How do I use a VPN?”
Luckily, many resources are available if you are not familiar with VPNs.
Conclusion
Degree mills offer shortcuts that are not only meaningless but also potentially harmful in the long term. They are malicious and offer no real benefit at all.
Do you think you need a degree but don’t think you have the time or money for it?
Consider that fewer and fewer jobs are requiring college degrees, from 51% in 2017 to only 44% in 2021.
There are now many opportunities for career success, even without a degree. And if you really want a degree, then it’s better to save up for it first. It’s never too late to get one!
After all, there’s no real substitute for the learning and skill-building provided by legitimate education.