The number of websites already floating around on the internet today is hard to fathom, yet many new sites are still created on a daily basis. Some of these are created with the intention to deceive readers, including the many fake college program and degree sites that seem to be popping up everywhere. The fraudulent websites are designed to make you think you’re going to get a quality education from one of the best business schools, when in reality you’ll only be scammed out of your money.
When researching about business schools and their online degree programs, how can you determine whether the sites you find are legitimate or not? One of the first things to check for is whether or not the school is accredited, which means it has been approved by one of a few education organizations in the country that deem it able to properly educate students. Some fake online schools will go as far as to try to forge their accreditation, but you can check the United States Department of Education website for access to a list of officially registered business schools provided by all the accreditation bodies in the country. If the school you’re looking at isn’t on the list, start searching for a different one!
Another way to quickly tell if an online school is a scam or not is to pay attention to the URL. If the site ends in .edu, it’s likely a legitimate school. Only accredited colleges, universities, and online schools are allowed to purchase the use of a domain name that ends in .edu. Some good business schools’ sites do end in .com or .org, but it’s more important with these domain names to consult a list of accredited schools just to make sure. It never hurts to double check something that you’re planning to put a lot of money into.
In addition to websites designed to deceive hopeful students into paying for an online business degree program, diploma mills are another type of online scam. The difference with diploma mills is that people using the sites know they’re not legitimate, but they use the service provided to in turn deceive a potential employer. Diploma mills charge someone anywhere from $5 to $500 for a degree that looks like the real thing. The site sends customers a packet of all the paperwork they may need to make it look like they have a business degree from a real college. Some even go as far as to establish a hotline that answers to the confirmation phone numbers listed on a degree in case an employer tries calling to verify the degree.
Before you quickly put out money for a business school that looks too good to be true, it’s worth your time and effort to research the school and make sure it’s legitimate. If you’re considering purchasing a fake business degree, then also remember that enrolling in an accredited college, either on campus or online, is a much better option because not only will it be easier for you to get a job, but you’ll gain all the valuable knowledge school has to teach you about business.