CaRe

Hundreds with fake degrees nabbed
Both Singaporeans and foreigners found out while applying for government passes

OVER 400 foreigners were caught last year for lying to the Manpower Ministry in their work pass applications, a fourfold increase from the 97 cases in 2005.

MOM did not give a breakdown but the majority are believed to have used fake or forged qualifications in applying for employment passes which are for highly qualified people, or S-Passes for semi-skilled workers.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority figures also point to a rising trend of workers using qualifications from degree mills, which are bogus universities that sell degrees for little or no study.

In the last two years, ICA caught 660 people, both foreigners and locals, lying in applications for immigration passes.

It could not give a breakdown but said many lied about their qualifications while trying to secure a dependent's pass, student visa or permanent resident pass.

Some of the locals caught had lied in the applications to be sponsors for foreigners seeking various immigration passes.

Both MOM and ICA said making false statements in the applications for work or immigration passes is a serious offence which carries heavy penalties, including fines and jail. Foreigners caught are also likely to be repatriated.

The ICA and MOM figures are just the tip of the iceberg, say job recruiters like People Worldwide Consulting and resume-screening companies such as IntegraScreen and First Advantage.

While most of those found out so far are foreigners, experts warn that more Singaporeans are also beefing up their resumes with fake or forged degrees.

One indication: The names of 36 people from Singapore showed up on a list of 9,612 people exposed in the United States recently for having bought fake diplomas and degrees.

First Advantage, a US-based company which checks claims made by job applicants, estimates that 12 per cent to 16 per cent of job seekers here are not entirely truthful in their CVs. Often, they inflate their academic achievements, current pay or responsibilities.

IntegraScreen, which does screening work for the immigration authorities in several countries in Asia and the Middle East, said about 5 per cent of the resumes they screen are found to be fake.

Its managing director, Mr John Baxter, said: 'The use of diploma mills is exploding as the Internet makes buying bogus degrees easier than ever before. More workers are buying these degrees because they're looking for an edge in the competitive job market in Singapore.'

Almost any degree, from aviation to zoology, can be purchased. All it takes is a credit card number and computer access.

Most degree mills charge between US$50 and US$5,000 (S$69 to S$6,900) for degrees at all levels. Often, buyers only have to fill up a form stating their work and life experiences and pay up.

Within a week, they are sent a professional-looking degree scroll and transcripts of fictional grades to show potential employers.

For an additional US$60, some degree mills offer laminated student identity cards, even though they have no physical campus.

Some even provide an after-sales service, with phone operators who will verify graduations and send transcripts to prospective employers who check.

Some go to the extent of offering fake degrees that look similar to those from such established universities as Harvard, Arizona State University or the University of Minnesota. Using high-tech equipment, the diplomas include watermarks and holographs.

The number of degree mills is not known, but Integra has compiled a list of over 500, with 90 per cent based in the US.

Mr John Bear, co-author of a book on degree mills, estimates that annual sales in fake degrees exceed US$500 million.

In Singapore, job recruiters say there are three groups of people who resort to using bogus degrees.

The first includes those who pay up to US$500 for undergraduate degrees and transcripts. These are non-graduates who use the fake qualifications to score a job, promotion or pay rise.

The second are consultants, trainers and private school lecturers who may have a first degree and some expertise in a particular area, but feel having a master's or PhD bolsters their credentials.

They are willing to pay between US$1,599 and US$10,000 for their bogus degrees.

The third group is made up of successful businessmen who fork out up to S$20,000 for honorary PhDs. They take care to indicate that these are honorary degrees, but like to be called 'Doctor'.

Mr David Leong, who heads PeopleWorldwide Consulting, said most people who buy their degrees are not victims, but intend to hoodwink employers or business clients.

'People who go online and order themselves a master's degree or PhD within a week know full well what they are doing,' he said.

KongMing

Degree here, degree there.

Degree everywhere.

No wonder, so many fakes!

Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered, those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid.
Thus the wise win before the fight, while the ignorant fight to win ~~~ Zhuge Liang

EvilGod

its bad, they shud know the risk of buying fake degrees. It may cost them huge sum in future....

Share Your Knowledge, Make a Master Being a Master..

dzpliu

LOL fake degrees...i wan fake phD

I will remember you. your smiles, your face, your everything....

Kairin22

they should spent 3 years to study for a degree instead of spending $$ on fakes lor..

restless

ya lor...spend so much for a paper...
y not spend the time to learn real stuffs as well?

Ah wai

Soon the world would be full of fake.....not only degrees........


.

Those who say money can't buy happiness.......
Don't know where to shop...........

Voodoo Vince

Exposed: 36 in S'pore named for buying fake degrees and diplomas

A RETIRED secondary school teacher, two private school teachers, an IT manager, and two businessmen were among 36 names from Singapore on a list of people exposed in the United States for buying fake diplomas and degrees.

The 9,612 names were taken from computers seized as part of Operation Gold Seal, a US Federal case that led to eight people pleading guilty to conspiracy to sell fake degrees from St Regis University and other fictional colleges based in rural Washington state.

The husband and wife ringleaders, Steven and Dixie Ellen Randock, have been sentenced to three years in prison.

The Washington-based newspaper, The Spokesman Review, ran the full list of names on its website on July 28. Buyers had paid the degree mill US$250 to US$5,400 (S$350 to S$7,500) for bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as doctorates.

The full report, which stated names, the degrees bought, and in some cases, the names of the fictional universities, can be found at http://www.spokesmanreview.com/data/diploma-mill/

The Straits Times contacted more than a dozen of those on the list and confirmed that six had bought the degrees. Four of the six had listed the degrees in their resumes.

Two admitted they had degrees from the listed universities but claimed they were unaware that these were degree mills.

The Education Ministry said it will investigate the case of the teacher to establish if any offence has been committed. But it said preliminary checks show that the teacher, who was recruited as a non-graduate teacher, had not used the 'degree' in question for placement.

MOE said the teacher is currently re-employed as a non-graduate contract adjunct teacher.

Businessman David Tan Leng Huat said he had merely enquired about a degree from St Regis University but had not paid anything.

Private school teacher David Nelson Samuel said he paid more than S$4,000 for a BA from St Regis University, but only found out later that it was unrecognised.

A Mr Joseph Ferguson was listed as a trainer at the Asian Life Skills Centre at North Bridge Road which runs courses for English Language teachers. His credentials include a BA (Business) and MA (Education) from St Lourdes University, one of the exposed degree mills.

But the centre's managing director Joseph Chee said the American had left the centre last year and expressed surprise at his fake credentials.

Dr Tan Tee Khoon, a Christian author and head of Knight Frank Property Network, said he is not the Tan Tee Khoon named for having bought a Master's in Divinity.

Dr Tan, who has a PhD in marketing from Templeton University, New York, said he was 'aggrieved' when he heard someone with his name was on the list.

SANDRA DAVIE
http://www.straitstimes.com/Prime%2B...ry_265562.html

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People don't plan to fail... They fail to plan.

SG Car Rental

Wow, degree also can fake one ah.

Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly
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Wedding, Budget, long term, short term
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raph

lower tuition fee n ppl resorting to such means might fall ba..

Blogshop

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...lets go back to basics

mcphine800

at times the employers dont even check the athenticity of the degrees. Mostly its based on the face-to-face trust~~ hence.

boooliyooo

Then what's the point of a degree? Nothing.

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Elmo77

So many FTs with fake degrees coming into Singapore and work.

chainy7

wah where they get their fake degree

*StarDust*

Most can be bought from the internet.