Pakistani Company Allegedly Makes Millions Selling Fake University Diplomas

Pakistani company Axact has recently come under fire from The New York Times in an article that claims Axact is making millions by selling fake diplomas online. Oddity Central has more:

The recent NYT article revealed that all the professors who appear in Axact’s pompous promotional videos are just paid actors, and the university campuses depicted on their website are nothing more than stock photos. The Times further reported that former employees admitted to working around the clock as telephone sales agents at Axact’s headquarters. “The heart of Axact’s business is the sales team – young and well-educated Pakistanis – fluent in English or Arabic, who work the phones with customers who have been drawn in by the websites. They offer everything from high school diplomas for about $350, to doctoral degrees for $4,000 and above.”

“Sometimes they cater to customers who clearly understand that they are buying a shady instant degree for money,” the report said. “But often the agents manipulate those seeking a real education, pushing them to enroll for coursework that never materializes, or assuring them that their life experiences are enough to earn them a diploma.

A nurse in Abu Dhabi, for instance, reportedly paid $60,000 for a medical degree that enabled her to get a promotion. A junior accountant wasn’t so fortunate – he spent $3,300 on an online master’s program, only to receive a low-priced tablet computer in the mail. He was later told that he needed to spend more money for certifications.