These Signs Reveal if an Online Degree is a Scam

Unfortunately college has become a burden for many aspiring students. A path of constant challenge, perhaps even overwhelm and anxiety. They need to invest a lot of energy, time and resources in a career, they don’t even know they need. What if you found a way to get it faster and easier?

Fake distance learning websites take advantage of people who want to learn online. There are two ways of earning yourselves fake degrees. Some websites don’t hide the fact that they are selling false degrees and thus even market and promote it as a fake.

These can be easily avoided if a fake degree is not what we want. Those are for people who are willing to take the risk and are aware of the consequences that buying a fake diploma can cause. A fake diploma doesn’t only cost you money, but can get you in jail as well.

The other type of websites are those that we are after as they are the ones deceiving customers who want to have a real diploma. Sweet talk, deception and misrepresentation are the techniques used by fake schools and colleges to lure unaware students into the wrong valleys.

If it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably an online degree scam.

Are Fake Degrees Worth It?

Unofficial schools can sell forged documents called fake degrees. Of course, having these could put the buyer and the company in trouble. People buy it knowing it’s fake and face the consequences.

The catch? A fraudulent school doesn’t have to tell whether the degree is legitimate. You could spend years owning a fake diploma and later get caught — and fired.

The target? Scammers sell to new students who:

A fake school that offers fast results can look as legit as Harvard University. The website may offer solutions that will include a diploma, transcripts and award of excellence, university letterhead and envelopes, basically anything to make it look legitimate.

However, they can’t deceive you if you double-check and read their conditions carefully.

Online Degrees: Fake VS Real

What makes a real degree unique? How do employers spot a fake diploma?

It depends on how important your position is. Employers will be more strict when hiring doctors, engineers, lawyers, and so on. Unless your career is specific and technical, they will make a basic check-up.

The company may want to see your profile on the university website. If they can’t find your name, they start more verification steps.

Fake centers also use fake websites to fake these steps. The employer will think you’re an official student. Mind that a fake degree only lasts until an authority like CHEA.org shuts down the fake university.

Red Flags Of A Fake Degree Scam

They all look the same: some hide the fact that they are selling fakes, but others don’t. If you want to get a real degree fast, how do you avoid those fraudulent centers?

Generic Conditions

“You qualify and need not do any required tests or examinations.”

What type of school qualifies without requirements? If anybody can get in, that diploma can’t be valuable or legit. Here, they know nothing about your background — all you need is a credit card.

That leads us to the payment part: everything costs a flat fee. Although there are other price tiers, none of them is course-related. The impression is, you are paying for a service, not education. You can’t solve everyone’s problems with one universal solution.

They Talk, Not Listen

Generalists will likely spend hours explaining their program, even if you may not need it. Whether it’s a university or a business, you won’t guess the person’s needs; we need to ask and listen.

A real program has advisors and customer service representatives to answer questions you may have. After all, you are trusting them to supply you with an education in return for a large fee. They should be available to you and any questions you may have.

Aren’t they answering your questions? Look somewhere else.

Offer You A Quick Fix

Higher education can cost you thousands of dollars and years of work. Somehow, these claim to have a magic formula to graduate in no time nor effort. Pay this much, study these topics— less than two weeks of content— no classes needed, and voilà!

If that’s not surprising enough, these professors have a solution for every objection.

“Call this number today! We’re available the whole year, 24/7, weekends and holidays included.”

If the degree is super affordable, super easy and super fast, don’t wonder if you lose your money even faster. If it comes so easily, don’t expect it to last long.

How To Prevent Online Degree Scams

Don’t be confused: accelerated programs do exist. You can get a diploma within a shorter period of time with the right work ethics and program. Although it would take insane amounts of work.

The problem? Some promise the impossible: get it with no work nor sacrifice in four to twelve weeks. Follow these steps to find your best program and exclude fraudulent websites such as these were.

Getting any education takes time, and real online university programs are no different. Don’t be daunted by the degree scams online. There are dozens of perfectly legitimate programs that will let you work toward a degree.

Ask A Real Person

Don’t move forward until someone introduces you to the program. If coordinators can’t reserve a few minutes to talk to you, what makes you think they will help you with your career after you pay?

Direct contact will help you verify the school ten times faster. If you can’t reach out to anybody, you should either desist or move to step two.

Ensure The Offer Makes Sense

Many times, getting a degree online will be more convenient and cheaper, but only by a small margin. You won’t find courses that cost ten times less, even less ten times shorter. Any school that offers you that kind of degree is probably lying to you.

Are They Accredited?

Accredited universities have been reviewed to meet the right quality standards. The US Department Of Education runs these controls to either validate or shut down centers.

An agency has to make an audit of the university. Preferably, someone like the BetterBussinessBureau (BBB), CHEA.org, or the ministry itself.

What happens when the university accredits itself? An accredited school could still be fraudulent! If you want to validate, find out who accredited them first.

These agencies have websites to list the universities checked. As you search for the center, you can also ask them questions. If they’ve already reviewed the school, the agency may tell you facts professors won’t.

If it’s not accredited, they won’t meet the standards your employers will require.

Reviews And Comparison

Upon the confusion, always ask someone with experience. You’re not the first student who joins this online course, so there must be people who have the information you need.

If that online program is really good, you’ll find out quickly. People will talk about it. But if you can’t find any convincing opinions — or many mixed reviews — they likely don’t deliver what they promise.

Wrapping Up: Are Fake Degrees Worth It?

Some students can’t commit to a real course and get a genuine diploma. Many will buy fake degrees online from some company. There are many consequences to this.

But what if you want to go through the whole experience? Do you need to take the traditional road, spend a fortune, and devote years of your life? It neither has to be that way.

If that ideal course really exists, go for it. Mind that most programs are fraudulent because of the red flags we’ve exposed. What matters is to learn how to prevent fake degree scams, keep searching, and you’ll find the best course for your career.