Fake University Degree

I want to earn my degree online but I’m afraid I’ll end up paying for a worthless fake university degree…

You should be. It’s an unfortunate situation, because technological advances and widespread, inexpensive Internet availability have given us the potential for more people to be more highly educated than ever before. But many who try to take advantage of this opportunity end up with a fake university degree; others who want to learn and earn their diploma are too afraid to commit to a program because of the risk.

Words that should make you suspicious of a fake university degree…

Avoid sites that advertise “novelty,” “replica,” or “realistic” diplomas completely. These are more or less all synonyms for “fake.”

Look at the website thoroughly.

Just because a site is flashy or official looking doesn’t make it real. Even having a .edu on the end of the address doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a real school. A reputable university will have, at the very least, lists of majors, course offerings or catalogs, information about their teaching staff, and address and telephone contact information in addition to email contact info.

Understand what accreditation really means.

All accreditation is not the same. To be recognized by the US Department of Education, a school needs to be accredited by one of only six regional accreditation associations. While there are unaccredited schools that are legitimate, or schools with other accreditation that aren’t necessarily worthless, it’s going to require a lot more in depth research to be sure you’re not getting stuck with a useless or fake university degree.

Filling out a form or having a 15 minute consultation and getting a degree in 3 days?

Trust your instincts. No matter how flashy the site or how many juicy sales statements they make, if it just doesn’t make sense, it’s probably not the real deal. There are more than enough real opportunities out there for you without taking a risk with something that looks too good to be true.