Fake Degree's: Are They Truly Worth It?

Running head: FAKE DEGREE'S: ARE THEY TRULY WORTH IT?

Fake Degree's, are they truly worth it?

Fake Degree's, are they truly worth it?

How many people would like to achieve a college degree in two weeks? Is this even possible? This paper will look further into this growing business and see if the benefits of purchasing a "fake degree" are worth the potential ramifications. Or can a fake degree truly help an individual get ahead in a career or in life. Is purchasing a "fake degree" ethical? This topic will also be examined.

People have found a way to get around the hard work and dedication it takes to earn a college degree. "Earning" a fake degree is simple. Go on line and click on any link that references "fake degrees." An example of one of these websites this is follows; http://www.fakedegrees.com/. This link will lead to a quick way to purchase a fake degree. Many more sites are available which can give a person more options and prices to purchase one of these fake degrees.

As cited by Stephanie Armour, "There are currently more than 400 diploma mills and 300 counterfeit diploma Websites and business is thriving amid a lackluster economy-Fake diploma sales are increasing all over the world doubling over the past five years, to more than $500 million annually."(Bear & Bear,) "Some fake schools in Europe have made as much as $50 million a year and have as many as 15,000 "graduates" a year."(Armour, pp.2) An example of a diploma mill that is selling fake degrees comes from Liberia. As cited by Mike Causey, "The latest fake degree flap to hit the news revealed that more than 6,000 people bought degrees, including medical degrees, from a school in Liberia. The reports said that 106 of them are federal workers including a White House employee, and someone in the National Security Agency."(Causey, 2006, p.1)

Think of the cost, for a mere $125 an individual may purchase associates, bachelors, or masters degree (Diploma Printing Services, pp 2). In some instances a person could even receive a letter of recommendation from a so called "professor." In many cases a transcript or contact information for the school may be given. In other cases the so called student might have received a class ring or even a student I.D. card. (Kannisto Dr., M. n.d.) It could be said that this has become a well oiled operation.

In today's world families are finding it much more difficult to provide for a family of any size. Income is increasingly important. People are buying fake degrees on line to find higher paying professional jobs. Reading the following excerpts it will be apparent that all aspects of the professional world are affected. People are purchasing degrees to help build their careers in teaching, medical, religious, and many more professions.

Stephanie Amour states (Armour, 2003, p.1) "Marion Koliywenzew learned her daughter was diabetic, she took her in 1999 to a specialist for care." This doctor seemed to be legitimate. "His office was full of diplomas." As it turned out, his diplomas were fraudulent. "When the mother followed his advice and took her daughter off of insulin, the 8-year old girl began to vomit and died." As a result, "Laurence Perry is serving up to 15 months in jail for manslaughter and practicing medicine without a license."

How about Church? As cited in an article by Mike Causey (Causey, 2006, pp. 1) "for a fee you could become a minister. It was $10 to be a run-of-the-mill clergyman but for another $15, I could be a bishop." Imagine the consequences that could occur due to these "clergymen" holding fake ceremonies?

Causey also states that when he interviewed former FBI agent Allen Ezell, he found that Ezell "has dozens of degrees. Most of them fake. They're fakes he bought from diploma-mills as part on FBI sting. He says the degrees cost as little as $39.95 up to a couple of hundred bucks for a doctorate."(Causey, 2006, p.2)

Professionals with fake degrees are working in all walks of life. These individuals are even working for the United States Government. As cited by Vince Gonzales in an article for CBS Evening News, (Gonzales, 2004, pp.1) "They are safety engineers at nuclear power plants and biological weapons Experts. They work at NATO headquarters, at the Pentagon, and at nearly every other federal agency." Surprisingly, people in positions of government who are supposed to protect us and serve on our behalf have earned their positions through the use of fake degrees as a form of credible education. Gonzales also cites "There are employees with diploma mill degrees at the new Transportation Security Administration, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Departments of Treasury and Education." The other piece to consider is that "taxpayers have paid for bogus degrees some workers used for hiring, promotions, and raises."(Gonzales, pp.2)

Firefighters and Police are also involved in the mix. Firefighters and police are using these fake degrees to get ahead and make more money than their peers. In an article written by Sacramento Bee, Dubious Diplomas Boost Firefighters Pay, "Sixteen Sacramento firefighters together pocketed $50,000 in extra pay after using bachelor's degrees purchased from online diploma mills to obtain raises." "Fire officials became suspicious only after a dozen more firefighters applied for the 5 percent education incentive raises using the mills' diplomas, said Deputy Chief Leo Baustian. Eighteen of the 28 total were captains."(Bee, 2007, p.2)

Employers are starting to look at the employment application process more critically than ever before. So many individuals are trying to get ahead in business and life by using these fake degrees. Not everyone benefits from the use of these fake degrees. As citied by (Kannisto Dr., n.d., and p.3) "Listen to your gut instinct," if something doesn't sound right, follow your instinct and investigate.

What can employers do to protect themselves from hiring individuals with fake degrees? "Employers must implement a process for verifying academic credentials. It would be wonderful if there was a website somewhere that listed all the "diploma mills" in existence. Unfortunately, since they tend to come and go pretty quickly, there's never a complete list."(Kannisto Dr., n.d., p.1) Some helpful website that may be used to check for accredited