CHECKLIST - 71 AXACT RED FLAGS –
71 THINGS THE FAKE AXACT SCHOOLS DO TO MISLEAD PEOPLE ACCREDITATION CLAIMS 1. Accreditation is claimed from unrecognized agency (even using www.gceab.org)! 2. The unrecognized ‘accrediting’ entity uses words: Global, International, National, American, United States, or name of a specific region, Mid Eastern, or GCC, etc. Unrecognized entity uses ‘.org. extension 3. The unrecognized agency even claims to accredit legitimate schools, providing a long list & state search 4. Beware of fake ‘accrediting’ entities created in names similar to legitimate entities, such as www.ushlc.education (United States Higher Learning Commission) as a look-a-like/sound-a-like for legitimate www.hlcommission.org (Higher Learning Commission, Chicago, IL) 5. Frequently claims ‘accreditation’ from legitimate entity which has name recognition, but accredits no one. 6. When displaying logo of its fake accreditation entity, links are provided to ‘certificate’ and to accreditors ‘website’ for reassurance 7. While legitimate schools generally have one accreditor, Axact schools have between 4-14 ‘International, Regional, and Subject Specific,’ yet www.MountWilliam.University indicates they have “20+ different accreditation bodies.’ More fakes must be better in this instance! OTHER FALSE OR MISLEADING CLAIMS 8. Steals photos of legitimate school buildings, facilities, students, and text 9. Abuses the process of awarding life/work experience credit 10. Creates fictitious school background, length of existence, size, number of faculty and graduates, to hide behind 11. Claims 15 schools, with 70 majors, 1,100 programs (figures vary) 12. Frequently lists names of legitimate schools and their tuition amounts (generally Kaplan, Capella, Strayer, and Walden University) and indicates the fake school tuition is lowest and best choice 13. Displays logos of Fortune 500 Companies claiming their ‘graduates’ are employed there 14. Often displays a Rubik’s cube depicting logos of the many companies employing their ‘graduates’ 15. May tout its academic offerings with statement, “Top 3 Ranking as Gulf’s Top Islamic Banking Program Provider” FALSE OR MISLEADING MEMBERSHIP AND AFFILIATIONS 10 16. Membership in real organizations, but ones that don’t screen members 17. Implied legitimacy through United Nations-related organizations, or school listings 18. Membership in nonexistent or bogus organizations established by themselves-some with websites FAKE OR MEANINGLESS DOCUMENTS 19. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9002 certification, and similar certifications 20. Occasionally misusing state certificate of incorporation to claim degree-granting authority 21. Uses testimonial videos by staff and students posted on various social media sites (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+, etc.) ADVERTISING AND MARKETING 22. Paid search engine placement (‘Search Engine Optimization’), so fake school name often appears with names of legitimate schools 23. Relies daily on all aspects of Internet based social media sites to create drumbeat about a school -uses Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Bling, Yahoo, and other sites for this propaganda to attract new students and others to establish credibility 24. Issues ‘press releases’ regarding their schools, then posts these for the world to see, on free websites such as www.CNNiReport, www.PRweb.com. 25. Posts school power point presentations on various sites for all potential students to visit, such as www.SlideShare.net, and others, thus lending credibility to fake school 26. Occasionally saying they are not a degree mill, because “degree mills are illegal.” 27. Persuasive, aggressive telemarketing calls by fake school officials, who themselves did not attend college 28. Offers ‘graduation packages’ at a flat price, (backdated if you desire), with discount if purchased today 29. Offers numerous degree options, (Associates, Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate) individually, or combined (with hefty discounts for multiple degrees packages). 30. Claims to offer “Employer Tuition Reimbursement Program’ 31. Utilizes a ‘spider web’ of web sites to entangle potential students searching for on-line education 32. Utilizes fake job placement and personnel agencies to entice individuals to purchase degrees in order to obtain the high paying job offered, sometimes in the Middle East 33. If fake school, in their “Online Education,” requires student to submit a thesis or dissertation, school offers facilities to have the paper prepared at a price. 34. If student desires ‘required’ paper to be published, school conveniently has a vanity publishing company which will also do this for a price. MISLEADING OR FAKE INTERNET PRESENCE 35. Purchases older schools for their “.edu” extensions, then naming new fake school with same initials as old school. 36. Fake schools also use their school name coupled with “.edu,” ”.university” or newer “.education” as their extensions, all to add appearance of legitimacy to their school 37. Name new fake school with similar name to well-known legitimate school (‘Confusion By Design’) 38. Establishes fake chat rooms and discussion groups, along with social media, to increase ‘drum beat’ for their new fake schools THE TRAPPINGS OF REAL SCHOOLS 39. Offers school paraphernalia (tee shirts, rings, coffee mugs, etc.) occasionally for sale 40. ‘Presidential Scholarships’ offered in the form of tuition reduction (70-90%) 41. Fake course lists may occasionally appear, normally copied from legitimate school sites 42. Map or directions furnished to non-existent campus 43. Frequently, ‘Internships’ are offered on fake school sites 44. School only offers PLA (Prior Learning Assessment), and OE (Online Education), but no ‘live on campus classes’ 45. Occasionally, a ‘student loan program’ is mentioned, but this is just a tuition discount 46. ‘Tuition Fee Reduction” also mentioned-In reality these are 7, 9, 14.5, 15 & 20%-tuition discounts depending on whether you pay entire balance ‘in one go” (one payment, or in two payments). 47. Referral Program (earn points towards ‘discounts’ for each tuition paid) 48. Non-existent alumni association, alumni gatherings, with regional chapters in all continents. 49. Several Axact fake school sites display copies of their diploma, transcript, and ‘verification letter.’ 50. Fake school uses ‘copyright date,’ example showing ‘copyright’ dates ‘1995-2015’ when web site created on 3/7/12 in Delaware. [Internet was created in mid 1995]. MISLEADING ‘ACCEPTANCE OF DEGREE’ CLAIMS 51. Making ‘broad brush’ statements regarding ‘graduates’ employment – never specifically identifying a named student with the specific employer. 52. Making the general statement, our graduates are employed by Wells Fargo, Ford, Apple, etc. in such a manner that you are unable to verify/refute the statements since no graduate names were given. 53. Displaying logos of ‘graduates’ employers around the world 54. School makes claims such as, “More than 952 Global Partners Provide Employment Opportunities to our graduates.” MISLEADING OR FAKE PHYSICAL PRESENCE 55. Fake pictures of the school’s buildings as stolen from web sites of legitimate schools -several Axact fake schools show picture of the Butler Library at Columbia University, NYC 56. Doctored photos of real buildings, with sign of fake school superimposed 57. PMB (Private Mail Box) presented as “Suite” or “Floor” or “Building number.” 58. Showing a big building in which they either do/did rent a room, or use mailbox service MISLEADING POLICIES 59. School claims to be the ‘World’s Largest University’ and ‘World’s Largest Distance Learning University’ simultaneously, while several of its sister schools make the same claims 60. Claiming exclusivity; stating that only 5% of applicants are accepted 61. Backdating diplomas to year 1997 62. Selling graduate honors (“magna cum laude, summa cum laude”) and grades of your choice 63. Allows student to select which courses/grades they desire to appear on their transcript 64. Assuring ‘student’ “We’ll always be here for you,” “Lifetime degree verification & support” 65. “Free lifetime credentials verification services.’ 66. School claims, “We are here 24/7” 67. Allowing students to enroll for more than one degree at a time 68. Multi-level marketing (sale of diplomas) through “Certified Educational Associates” and brokers worldwide, with commissions ranging from 40%-75% of tuition collected. 69. “Order by midnight tonight,” “today only-during this call,” hard cell marketing techniques used 70. “Your degree and transcript will be in your hands in 5-10 business days, or within 24-48 hours by their new ‘overnight courier service’ if desired. 71. Degree and Transcript on fake schools now sold on COD (Cash on Delivery) basis! Buy now, pay later! |
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