UK govt launches service to combat Axact-type fake varsities

LONDON: The British government ordered crackdown on fake universities after investigators identified as many as 190 institutions offering bogus degrees in almost copycat style of Pakistan’s degree mill factory known as Axact.
The announcement by the UK government comes after Pakistan stepped up investigation against Axact, following the expose of the so-called IT company as one of the biggest fake degrees factories of the world, and the Federal Investigation Agency confirmed that Axact has been involved in producing fake degrees at the mass scale to customers mainly from America and the Middle East.
The British government announced that people with expertise at verifying degrees would liaise with trading standards departments and other enforcement officers to prosecute or force the closure of any institution they consider to be offering dubious degrees.
The Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD), managed by Prospects, the graduate experts brought in by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to carry out the crackdown, said it believed there was “burgeoning number of unaccredited institutions” indulging in degree fraud.
The investigating body found that some fake degree mills traded in the name of existing reputable institutions - such as the University of Wolverhamton (note the missing “p” in the name), and Manchester University (relying on confusion with the bona fide University of Manchester). Others used names of well-known places in the UK out of the air - such as Chelsea and Canterbury universities. It found that one website, based in China, offered bogus degrees which it says are from reputable UK higher education institutions - such as the University of Kent - while charging £500 a time.
The Higher Education Degree Datacheck said fake institutions had cut and pasted false grades and signatures on to certificates - which were then passed off as authentic.
Jayne Rowley, business services director at Hedd, said: “Degree fraud is a serious problem. In the first quarter of this year alone we added 42 bogus institutions to the database and there are thousands of fake degree certificates in circulation. It’s easy to see why people would be tricked into thinking they could get a genuine degree from these websites.
“On the surface, they appear credible: they use the word ‘university’ in their title and many imitate legitimate sites with all of the information you’d expect from study guides to lecturers; words of welcome and student testimonials.
“Innocent applicants can be duped out of thousands of pounds and end up with a worthless piece of parchment with a fancy seal.”
A spokesman at the HEDD told The News that investigators linked with education system in Britain were aware that Axact targeted mainly Middle East and American customers through “online universities offering distance education” and using “American terminology and dollars as currency so they appear to look like American universities”.
She said that the government had appointed them to investigate and shut down fake universities if “they are operating in Britain” but they will also be looking at who is committing fraud to the UK customers.
“The issue is very serious. Five percent of the enquiries made through HEDD are based on fraudulent qualification claim, one-third of people admit to lying on job applications and CVs and the most common lie is about qualifications. Only 2/3rd of employers ask to see degree certificates and only a third of that group check the certificates with the awarding universities. Fraudsters know this and also know they can get away with it if nobody checks.”
She added: “We have been appointed by the government to investigate and report the fake universities and also to raise awareness and campaign with employers to check degree certificates with the awarding universities to make sure they are genuine.”
A total of 57 private colleges had their licences to recruit overseas students suspended last year by the Home Office as a result of doubts over the authenticity of their courses. Last month, investigators secured the closure of the Bristol International College, which was offering degrees in media, arts and technology. According to reports the National Distance Learning College, based in Middlesbrough, offered computing and business related subjects. The Cambridge College of Learning was offering overseas students business management and IT degree qualifications for between £2,500 and £4,000.
Fraudsters targeting UK market have used the same tactics as their counterparts in Axact who misled customers through genuine sounding names of universities such as Alford High School, Brooksville High School, Adamsville University, Al Khaleej University, Ashley University, Bakerville University, Barkley University, Baycity University, Baytown University, Cambell State University, Grant Town University, Harvey University, Kings Lake University, Affordable Accredited Degrees and so on.