Investigative journalism is like completing a jigsaw puzzle. The pieces are jumbled and gradually come together into a picture.
In any democratic society, watchdog journalism is essential. It is able to bring people to justice as well as expose the abuses and corruption of power. From Upton Sinclair’s expose on the meatpacking industry, to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein exposing Watergate, this type of investigative journalism has had an enormous impact.
Fraudulent Academic Credentials
Millions of people around the globe purchase fake academic credentials. From a lone entrepreneur with an printer located in the city’s Chinatown to a pre-ordered online operation, the world of fake diplomas is both diverse and expanding.
Degree mills, once the province of a few lone operators making certificates at their kitchen tables and selling the certificates on matchbook covers are now high-tech, with sleek websites chat rooms, edu suffixes for their domain names, and pseudo-accrediting organizations that have cited rigorous — but undefined – standards. In this billion-dollar industry, it is possible to earn a bachelor’s master’s, doctoral or master’s degree without attending classes, without taking exams and with no work whatsoever.
The fake transcripts of college is another method to obtain one of these fake diplomas. If you’re found guilty, it is an offense that could be punished with being in jail for a period of time.
To see how it’s easy to obtain a fake university degree, Marketplace teamed up with former FBI agent Allen Ezell to purchase one from Almeda University, an online school that offered a PhD in Biblical Counseling. Lack who was able to use an alias while on the phone, offered Almeda University backstory and qualified for the degree upon providing certain credentials.
Diploma Mills Investigation
Experts estimate that the business of fake diplomas is worth a billion dollars. By analyzing business records, analysing customer data and the comparison of social media profiles Marketplace looked into Axact in Pakistan which is one of the major players. We found that many Canadians may have purchased fake degrees from this college.
While there are laws against selling fake credentials and falsely presenting them but it’s a thorny legal issue to prosecute diploma mills. The issue is a thorny one that has caught the attention of UNESCO, the FBI and federal prosecutors as well as the Department of Education, the Federal Trade Commission and education agencies around the world. But it remains a challenge for investigators to find them out, even with the assistance of a growing number of watchdog groups.
Many fake schools are branded with names that sound similar to those of legitimate schools. It can be hard to identify them with an background check. Background screeners who are professionals act as detectives and they use their expertise to detect red flags in an applicant’s educational background.
Other indications that a diploma mill is fraudulent include a name that is like a similar one, and an address or website that does not include the university’s location. Visits to these universities, such as those our reporters made at the New World Mission Dunamis International University, Cape Town, and Northern Ireland Institute of Business Technology, Belfast, are essential steps in uncovering diploma mills.
The integrity of the educational qualifications
Investigative journalism is a skill which requires perseverance and a deep grasp of how to spot patterns and anomalies. It requires a variety of skills including document analysis, interviewing on the record and anonymous sources, subscription-based research tools, and more. It’s usually a slow and labor-intensive work, yet it can uncover the truth that holds powerful politicians, criminals, corporations, and governments accountable for their actions.
For example, when Marketplace looked into the largest diploma mill Axact, they obtained business records and cross-referenced personal data to verify that the clients were really interested in purchasing fake degrees. The team also visited the locations of fake universities such as New World Mission Dunamis International University in South Africa and Northern Ireland Institute of Business Technology in London to verify their legitimacy and to see how they operate.
The impact of diploma mills has two sides, Gollin says: They make fake degrees look like a bargain that students work for many years and thousands of dollars earning. They can also expose the public to danger when professionals like engineers and doctors do not have the right qualifications.
This is why journalistic investigative reporting is vital. Whether it’s the Watergate scandal which rocked America as well as the most recent Nobel Peace Prize winners Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their fight for freedom of speech in Russia and Philippines and the Philippines, investigative journalism can expose corruption and make our world a more secure place.
Counterfeit Degrees Exposed
The industry of fake degrees is flourishing and the global sector generating around $7 billion annually. In part, the phenomenal rise of this industry is due to the ease with which it is for people to obtain fake diplomas. The industry is also thriving because many people lie on their resumes to secure a job and make money.
Degree mills remain in operation despite increased scrutiny by authorities due to their profit motive. A fake school can offer thousands of degrees every year at a cost that is minimal since the fraudsters can produce degrees inexpensively by employing computer programs and outsourcing their actual staffing to international suppliers. Many of these fake schools even advertise in legitimate publications and newspapers including the Economist USA Today, Forbes, Psychology Today, Discover, Investors Business Daily, and regional editions of Time and Newsweek and find more here now https://lambang-toanquoc.com/.
Declan Walsh, an investigative journalist, who exposed Axact’s fake degree business recently shared documents he uncovered during his investigation with reporters around the globe. These included scans of registration forms for the mailers owned by Belford High School in Texas and California and Belford University, as well as letters from an erroneous International Accreditation Organization and screenshots from the Axact’s internal publication. Some of these documents were used by the BBC to compile the documentary, File on 4: Degrees of Deceit, which will be airing this week on the Radio 4 show, ‘File on Four’.