Khalid Tashkandi
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — With employers preferring highly qualified employees for their organization, some people have found an easy way to secure a master’s degree or a PHD to impress their bosses to obtain a promotion, or secure a good job.
All one needs to have is money and without wasting precious time the degree will be in your hands.
In recent times, a number of fake universities have cropped up in the United States and elsewhere, offering people an opportunity to buy their degrees.
They maybe illegal but it is definitely not stopping the degree buyers or sellers.The degree churning mill is thriving and from time to time they give you commendable offers too. For example: If you have $4,000, you can easily purchase a master’s degree, which will qualify you for a free PHD degree, an American University put on offer.
These anonymous universities are hidden within the web, leaving no trace of their identity or location.
When Okaz/Saudi Gazette started investigating about the business of fake degrees and universities, they found 306 such universities which have no academic accreditation and are not recognized by majority of employment bodies around the world.
Organization in some countries consider the use of fake certificates, or degrees a crime punishable by law, if found guilty.
Okaz/Saudi Gazette chose 15 universities — Belford University, Ashwood University, Hail University, Hamilton University, Colmbus University, Lawrence Univesity, Woodfield University, Corllins University, Almeda University, Buxton University, Rochville University, Redding University, Suffield University, Cambridge University, and Ambassador University — to further investigate the matter in depth.
Some of the universities mentioned above have been closed and the owners have been imprisoned.
An official from Okaz/Saudi Gazette, pretending to pursue a degree, contacted a few fake universities via their website to inquire about the courses offered.
A few hours later, the official was flooded with calls from almost all the universities.
The first call received was from Belford University, USA, (It is actually post office box in Texas) and the conversation was similar to which the official had with representatives of all other fake universities.
Following is a conversation between a representative of the Belford University and the official from Okaz/Saudi Gazette.
Text of the telephone conversation that Okaz/Saudi Gazette had with a representative of Belford University.
Belford University: Hello. My name is Darwin Anderson, and I am calling you from Belford University in the United States. How are you today?
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: Thank you for asking...I am fine.
Belford University: I have received a letter from the registration office that you have applied for a home study with the university... Is that correct?
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: Yes, I have applied to join the university to obtain a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Belford University: With pleasure...The main reason I am contacting you today is to explain the procedures required for completing your acceptance in the university and obtaining the academic degree that you have applied for.
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: Yes, that is what I want.
Belford University: Have you applied to Belford University before? How did you find us?
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: This is the first time that I have applied to your university, and I found the university through the web.
Belford University: I will explain the details of the program...what we do is present academic offers to employees of high expertise who do not have the time to study as they are busy with their work. Such employees are qualified to obtain academic certificates (Bachelor, Masters, and PHD) from the university within 15 days only. They deserve it according to their work experience and life experience. We evaluate the experience and convert it to grades based on which we grant the certificate. What specialization and degree you want to apply for?
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: Bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Belford University: How many years of work experience do you have, what degrees have you obtained, and where are you from?
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: I have seven years of experience working in administration at a family publishing house. I spent the first four years in electronic sales publishing, and I have a secondary school certificate. I am a Saudi national.
Belford University: Wonderful.. seven-year-experience is more than enough for us to grant you the degree. You are now entitled for a bachelor degree in business administration.
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: I am glad to hear this...please send me the certificate to my address within 15 days..what about the GPA and a transcript?
Belford University: Your experience is enough to grant you a 4/4 GPA, and a detailed transcript will be attached to the certificate.
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: What is the cost of obtaining a bachelor degree?
Belford University: You are from Saudi Arabia, so you have to pay additional fees for authenticating the certificate from the American Foreign Department, and from the Embassy, and then from the Ministry of foreign Affairs. This will cost you $2,000 in addition to the cost of the certificate which is about $949 (SR3,560).
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: I have a question.. can I also apply for a Masters and PHD degrees?
Belford University: You can apply for both a bachelor and a master’s degree, and we will give you a discount. The total cost will be $5,948, and we will give you a $948 discount, so your cost will be $5,000 only. I want to know again how did you find us? Was that through a web search or a university graduate? Most of the students reach us through graduates from Saudi Arabia and other neighboring countries. They number more than 45,000 graduate.
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: I reached your university through a web search and some advertisements that my friends have pointed out.
Belford University: Good..no problem. We will complete the procedures for you to obtain the required certificates. I will mail you a list of the requirements needed for the degree, such as a personal photo, copy of your passport, and a copy of your C.V. Can you confirm the name of the specialization for which you wish to obtain a bachelor and a master’s degree.
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: I want to a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in management information system because I want to apply for work in electronic trade.
Belford University: What is your graduation date from secondary school? You have the right to specify the graduation date of your bachelor and master’s degrees.
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: I graduated from secondary school in 1999, and if I have a choice to choose my graduation date for my bachelor and master’s degrees, then I want them dated to 2004 for my bachelor’s degree and 2009 for my master’s degree.
Belford University: No problem at all.. your bachelor’s degree graduation date will be April 12, 2004, and your masters will be September 18, 2009. All that remains is for you to pay half the cost now, and the rest when we send the certificates.
Okaz/Saudi Gazette: Can I postpone the payment for two days so I may secure the amount, especially that I will be asking my father for assistance?
Belford University: You are welcomed.. your satisfaction is my priority.
According to some sources, the certificates are prepared, printed and dispatched from an Arab country to the US and then to the student buyer. Craig Malisow of Houston Press newspaper wrote a report titled “First Degree Fraud” seven years ago.
Interestingly, another study stated that a number of evidence point that some mentioned fake universities functioned under one parent body, as all of them had similar procedures, messages, telephone area codes and design of the certificates.
An “Ashwood University” claimed to have been accredited by the board for internet universities accreditation and the world organization of internet education.
However, investigations revealed the university was fake and was not documented in the United States Department of Education (USDE).
