"Accredited" and "verifiable": the two words degree sellers use to take your money

You asked two questions. Here is the reply.

Picture it. A website with a crest, a Latin motto and a live chat.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​⁠

You type the only two questions that matter: is the degree accredited, and can an employer verify it? The answer comes back in seconds, warm and certain.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​⁠

Yes! All our degrees are fully accredited by a leading international accreditation council [A1] and approved by the US Department of Education [A2].⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​⁠

Every degree is fully verifiable: employers can confirm it online or by phone [V1].⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​⁠

Your record is entered in the university database [V2], and your certificate comes attested and apostilled for use worldwide [V3].

It's completely legal, because you're paying for your life experience [A3]. Delivered in days, with a full refund if verification ever fails [V4].

The reply is made up, but every phrase is typical of seller adverts.

Look at the tags. Seven claims, two words, and not one survives plain English.

Got a real reply from a seller? Paste it into the message scanner and watch these phrases light up.

"Accredited", said three ways

Lines A1 to A3 promise the degree is "accredited". Each sounds official until you open the official site.

[A1] "Accredited by an international accreditation council"

Accredited by someone, not by anyone who counts. This is how fake accreditation works: the council may well exist, but nobody official recognises it.

A real accreditor is itself recognised. In the US, that means by the Department of Education, CHEA or both; DAPIP lists the Department's recognised accreditors and their schools.

In the UK, the test is whether the awarding body has the power to award degrees.

Test it: search the school's exact name in DAPIP, or use GOV.UK's check for a UK degree. Never start from a link the seller gives you. To check the seller's own site, run it through the website X-ray.

[A2] "Approved by the US Department of Education"

A big name borrowed from a body that accredits no one. Its own database says so: "The U.S. Department of Education does not accredit educational institutions and/or programs."

[A3] "You're paying for your life experience"

Assessed, not bought. Real universities credit experience only after assessing it, as part of a degree you still study for. A degree for experience alone is the pitch, not the practice.

"Verifiable", said four ways

Lines V1 to V4 promise you can buy a verifiable degree. Watch who does the verifying.

[V1] "Fully verifiable, online or by phone"

A seller vouching for itself. Real verification means someone other than you asks the institution holding the record, directly or through an official service.

A phone line printed on the certificate is the seller answering its own phone.

Test it: put the "verification" address into the verification trap check to see whether it really belongs to the university.

[V2] "Your record is entered in the university database"

A database they own, or one they cannot touch. A real university creates your record as you enrol, pass and graduate, and no seller can add you to it.

If the certificate names a real university, the check goes there, and it has never heard of you. If the "university" is the seller's, so is the database.

[V3] "Attested and apostilled for use worldwide"

A stamp about a stamp. The Apostille Convention's official outline says an apostille certifies the signature, the signer's capacity and the seal. It "does not authenticate the content" of the document.

Test it: ignore the stamp. It confirms only whose signature is on the paper, and a real certificate can be apostilled on a notary's or solicitor's certification too. Check the register and the university's records instead.

[V4] "Full refund if verification ever fails"

A refund on a check they answer themselves. Their own verification never fails, so the refund never comes due.

The employer's check never involves them: when it fails, it fails in an inbox or a visa file, with your name on it.

"Completely legal"? Using it can be a crime

Buying the paper may not be a crime. Using it can be.

• Using it: dishonestly claiming it to get a job is fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (Fraud Act 2006, s2). In Washington State, knowingly doing so is a gross misdemeanor (RCW 9A.60.070).
• Selling it: an offence in England, Wales and Scotland if the "degree" could pass for a UK one (Education Reform Act 1988, s214). In Washington State, a class C felony.

Other countries: what a fake degree can cost.

You can't buy an accredited degree. You can test one in minutes.

Every line comes down to two questions: accredited by whom, and verified by whom? The pocket version:

Where to look, by country:

US

School: DAPIP, or CHEA's database.
Degree: the National Student Clearinghouse or the registrar.

UK

School: GOV.UK's guide or, in England, the OfS Register.
Degree: Hedd or the registry.

Australia

School: TEQSA's National Register, by the provider's exact name.
Degree: My eQuals or the university.

New Zealand

School: universities are set up by law; for others, NZQA's checklist.
Degree: My eQuals or the university.

Anywhere, try the official warning lists: a name on one is a red flag, though absence proves nothing.

Using an overseas qualification in the UK? UK ENIC only compares qualifications officially recognised where they were awarded.

Four questions a real university answers with names you can check

Ask any university you are considering:

1. Which body awards my degree, and where can I see its degree-awarding powers or accreditation on a government register?

2. If you are accredited, which authority recognises your accreditor?

3. After I graduate, how will an employer verify my degree, and through which service?

4. Can you assess my work experience for credit, and how much of the degree would I still need to study?

Picture two made-up replies to those questions. The seller:

A university:

One answers with adjectives, the other with names. Look each up yourself on the sites above: mills invent names too.

The honest version of both words

• Credit for what you know. The real version of line A3: a university assesses your experience and counts it towards a degree. In the US, ask admissions about prior learning assessment.
• Part-time or online study. An accredited degree online is simply a real degree from a university on its country's official register, taught around your working week.
• A degree apprenticeship. In England, a paid job with study up to bachelor's or master's level. Relevant experience can shorten it.

Then close the chat window and reopen the job advert. If it says "or equivalent experience", the degree was never the only way in. Send this instead:

Your advert asks for a degree or equivalent experience. Which parts of my experience in [field] would you count as equivalent?

The honest route is slower than a parcel in the post. It is also the only version that still says yes when an employer asks.

Already paid a seller? These steps after buying a degree online work for any bought certificate.

Sources

• US Department of Education: DAPIP: the Department does not accredit; recognised agencies and their schools
• GOV.UK: Check if your university or college can award a degree
• Office for Students: The OfS Register
• TEQSA: National Register of Higher Education Providers, backed by the TEQSA Act 2011, section 198
• CHEA: database and directory of recognised accreditors
• UK ENIC: Statement of Comparability: qualifications recognised in their own country
• NZQA: Choosing a tertiary education provider
• Hedd (Higher Education Degree Datacheck): UK degree verification
• National Student Clearinghouse: Verifications
• My eQuals: official credentials platform for Australian and New Zealand providers
• HCCH: Outline of the Apostille Convention and GOV.UK: Get your document legalised
• QAA: What is credit? A guide for students: recognition of prior learning
• GOV.UK: Become an apprentice
• Education Reform Act 1988, section 214: unrecognised degrees (England, Wales and Scotland)
• Fraud Act 2006, section 2: fraud by false representation (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
• Revised Code of Washington, RCW 9A.60.070: false academic credentials

Also worth reading

• "Fully accredited!" By whom? The fake accreditors behind online colleges
• The free way to check a degree, and the "free checks" that are traps

#DiplomaMills #Accreditation #DegreeVerification #FakeDegrees