Thursday, June 3, 2010

Anonymous Commenter Claims: "Fake diplomas are 100% legal."

Yet another Anonymous coward decided to comment, this time in response to my previous article on fake diplomas from December 2007: Fake Diplomas Are Illegal.

Here was his comment (dollars to donuts it's a man.):

Anonymous said...

Whomever made this post, isn't that bright!!! Is it illegal to pretend to earn credentials that you didn't, to gain advancement? YES! Absolutely! So, is it illegal to take a fake diploma and use to get a job? Yes. Is it illegal to buy a fake diploma and just hang on your wall? No. Is illegal to joke with your friends about graduating? No. This person is trying to take something that isn't black & white and making it black & white. Fake diplomas are legal. They are legal to buy. A lot of fake diploma companies take major credit cards. If it was illegal, Visa would not accept them! You can't use a Visa to buy meth! haha Fake diplomas are 100% legal. There are illegal acts you can do with it, but people need to be warned about that side of it, without being scared out of simply owning one.

You know, if you want to be taken seriously, "Anonymous", you should really not post anonymously. That and you should get your facts straight. Clearly you didn't read the article.

> Whomever made this post, isn't that bright!!!

Heck of a way to legitimize your post. I will, for now, ignore your stellar lack of skill in grammar and the use of punctuation.

"Whomever made this post?" It's pretty clear who I am. I've been at this for a while.

> Is it illegal to pretend to earn credentials that you
> didn't, to gain advancement? YES! Absolutely! So, is it
> illegal to take a fake diploma and use to get a job? Yes. Is
> it illegal to buy a fake diploma and just hang on your wall?
> No. Is illegal to joke with your friends about graduating?
> No.


Correction (and here it is clear you do not know the law): "Novelty" diplomas, only in a very small number of US states, are legal. The law has a pretty specific definition of that, thus the use of the word "Novelty".

I recommend that you read this website: counterfeitdegrees.com. They are a veritable cornucopia of information regarding the specific legalties of this industry.

On the main page you see the following:

Parallel to the types of fake degree consumer, are two types of fake degree businesses:
  • Fake degree suppliers make no pretense of being colleges or leading consumers to believe their resumes can translate to real degrees. They unabashedly sell, advertise, and fiercely market "fake," "phony," "bogus," and "novelty" degrees.
  • In comparison, diploma mills go to great lengths to create an illusion of reality and authority. Savvy marketing ploys and misleading information draws customers that may believe an evaluation essay or exam, combined with their resume, earns them an academic degree.

So you can't even just say that "selling fake degrees is legal", because that statement is trying to make things "black & white". It depends on how you word how you want to sell them, and for what purposes.

Further, there are indeed very specific federal and state laws covering this type of industry. You should most definitely read this link also, as it outlines each.

Let me show you, really specifically, a couple of very recent examples of this spam.

Subject: Get a diploma for a better job.

BECAUSE YOU DESERVE IT! Is your lack of a degree holding you back from career advancement?
Are you having difficulty finding employment in your field of interest because you don?t have the
paper to back it up ? even though you are qualified?
If you are looking for a fast and effective solution, we can help!
Call us right now for your customized diploma: Inside U.SA.: 1-718-989-5740 Outside U.S.A.: +1-718-989-5740.
Just leave your NAME & TEL. PHONE # (with country-code) on the voicemail and one of our staff members will get back to you promptly!

Subject: Need a diploma? Call us.

BECAUSE YOU DESERVE IT! Is your lack of a degree holding you back from career advancement?
Are you having difficulty finding employment in your field of interest because you don't have the
paper to back it up - even though you are qualified?
If you are looking for a fast and effective solution, we can help!
Call us right now for your customized diploma: Inside U.SA.: 1-718-989-5740 Outside U.S.A.: +1-718-989-5740.
Just leave your NAME & TEL. PHONE # (with country-code) on the voicemail and one of our staff members will get back to you promptly!

Note how the subject line of one of them directly states that this is to be used "for a better job"? Did you notice that? What about the use of the sentence "Is your lack of a degree holding you back from career advancement?". Nothing "jokey" about that, "Anonymous." These spammers - about whom I am specifically writing, because you might have noticed that this is a blog about spamming, and these fake diploma operations are promoted via criminal spamming - are not selling a diploma in the hopes that you just want to "joke with your friends about graduating". They are specifically saying: you "need" this diploma, because you can't advance in your career, or you are unable to get a better job without one.

Many other subject lines in recent messages make the claim that younger candidates are getting the job faster than you, therefor you would (again) "need" this fake diploma to stand out. This is not Novelty. This is a criminal act. It is extremely clear.

What's worse is, we're in a down economy, as you may have noticed. The enticement is even higher to purchase these as "proof" of someone's abilities since there are fewer and fewer jobs available. The spammers behind this know that that's the case, and recent spam volume in this sector is way higher than in previous years. You don't think this is dangerous? You think these spammers are really targetting unemployed professionals because they just want to "joke about" having a degree? Shame on you!

So I have to ask you, "Anonymous", where are the spam messages you apparently seem to be arguing with me about which only sell diplomas so you can "joke with your friends about graduating?" The only spam I've ever seen promoting diplomas are ones which very much get across that these are to be used to "get a better job."

Also: How much, reasonably, does a novelty degree cost? If I want to go to a joke shop and get a "PHd in Beerology", that's probably $20. Money not well spent, but that is probably the extent of that. The diplomas that these criminal diploma spam operations are selling often sell for upwwards of $400 apiece. It depends on the "degree" you want to get.

> This person is trying to take something that isn't black &
> white and making it black & white. Fake diplomas are legal.


On the contrary: you, "Anonymous", are trying to lump diploma spammers in with any other kind of seller of novelty diplomas. My posting was extremely clear, and I think any normal human being with eyes could tell the difference between a joke diploma that costs $20 which claims I have a "Masters in Fishing" and a $400 diploma claiming to be from the University of Arizona which claims I have a PHd in Nuclear Physics and has a pretty convincing looking embossed seal on very carefully watermarked paper.

> There are illegal acts you can do with it, but people need
> to be warned about that side of it, without being scared out
> of simply owning one.


They should sure as hell be scared of other people owning them if they're claiming to be a surgeon, a lawyer, an accountant, etc. Would you want surgery from someone based on their fake diploma?

I didn't say novelty diplomas were illegal, I said fake diplomas are illegal, and my posting went into a great deal of detail explaining why. The law is extremely clear, and the litany of ongoing court cases which have been taking place recently (and on a weekly or monthly basis since my original posting was published) is pretty conclusive evidence that selling fake diplomas is, indeed, illegal. Further: many states are actually now strengthening the law to include the manufacture of fake diplomas as an illegal act.

Quit posting anonymously, and don't be so facile about this topic.

SiL

Further Reading:


P.S. You'll notice I didn't even bother to go into the legality of fake transcripts. Want to try me on that one?

10 comments:

Steve said...

Hey Spam Killer, nice blog. Found this article after searching about Windows Live invitation spam I've been getting lately - it's exactly the one you reference in the article, beginning "BECAUSE YOU DESERVE IT! Is your lack of degree holding you back...". I hate spam at the best of times, but particularly loathe scam spam and spam promoting illegal and dubious products and services.

I seem to be getting this particular spam about 5 times a day, every time from different usernames. To begin with I was just clicking to ignore the invites and block the users, but now my invitations list is so jammed up with them that I don't have time to do it. My email account getting this heavy spam is a hotmail/Windows Live account. I've searched Windows Live support and found that the spam has been reported to the Windows Live team plenty of times. Is there any other action that those of us in this position can take (short of abandoning the email address) to prevent the torrential spam invites without it blocking genuine invites?

IKillSpammerz said...

Hello Steve, and thanks for your comment.

If Hotmail is routinely failing to flag the messages as spam, you may want to consider switching email providers. In my experience, so far Gmail has *the* best filtering of any free email provider with regards to how they handle spam, and that's because they created their own customized, proprietary "reputation-based" filter which makes flagging spam a lot more precise and is known to be a thorn in the side of spammers.

Hotmail recently introduced a lot of new features to improve email usability, and some of this is supposed to include improvements to their spam filtering. So far I have not noticed an improvement but that could be because it needs time to ramp up its effectiveness.

If you either can't or don't feel like switching providers, just make sure you use their "mark as spam" function for *EVERY* message you get that you know is very obviously spam. This sends their filtering system the message that the email you flagged should be part of their spam-filtering profile.

But broadly speaking I really don't like the whole "just filter it" point of view. This activity is illegal, and the criminals behind it aren't stopping.

For diploma spam, the alternative is to seek out who provided the phone number and report it to them, but that has been, let me tell you, a long, dark rabbit hole. Spammers who promote diplomas tend to prefer smaller, cheaper phone providers, and those providers routinely ignore abuse reports.

SiL

IKillSpammerz said...

Here's another even more explicit diploma spammer:

Subject: You have the experience but lack the proper University Degree for a more satisfactory life. alcaldeship aboveboard agitation

Special News for you!

Do you want an improved future, increase in earning power, and pat on the back :)?

Today only:
We can assist with Diplomas from prestigious universities based on your present
knowledge and professional experience.

Get a Degree in 5 weeks with our program!

~Our program will let ANYONE with professional experience
gain a 100% verified Degree:

~Doctorate
~Bachelors
~Masters

- Think about it...
- Just follow YOUR Dreams!
- Live a wonderful life by earning or upgrading your degree.

This is a good chance to make a right move and receive your due
benefits... if you are qualified but are lacking that piece of paper. Get one from
us in a short time.

Call Us 24/7 to start improving your life!

~CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION~

1-407-245-7320

You should leave us a voice message with your name and phone number with country
code if outside USA and we'll call you back as soon as possible.

It is your decision...
Make the right decision.

Best wishes.

Do Not Reply to this Email.
We do not reply to text inquiries, and our server will reject all response traffic.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

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So: No plans to stop spamming. No plans to stop promoting this clearly illegal product. But they're still sorry for "any inconvenience."

Total scumbags.

SiL

IKillSpammerz said...

Here's another using the angle of "earning" a degree "based on your present knowledge and work experience."

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Changing careers but lack the right Degree for a superior life. advancingly acieration acarines

Hey bud!!

Do you want an improved future, step up in money earning, and brownie points?

Special offer:
We can assist with Diplomas from prestigious universities based on your present
knowledge and work experience.

Get a Degree in 4 weeks with our program!

~Our program will let EVERYONE with professional experience
get a 100% verified Degree:

~Doctorate
~Bachelors
~Masters

- Just think about it...
- You can realize YOUR Dreams!
- Live a wonderful life by earning or upgrading your degree.

This is a exellent way to make a right move and receive your due
benefits... if you are qualified but are lacking that piece of paper. Get one from
us in a short time.

Call 7 days a week! to start improving your life!

~CONTACT US FOR A FREE CONSULTATION~

1-407-245-7320

You should leave us a voice message with your name and phone number with country
code if outside USA and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

It is your way...
Make the right decision.

Sincerely.

Do Not Reply to this Email.
We do not reply to text inquiries, and our server will reject all response traffic.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

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------------------------------------------------------------

That phone number (407-245-7320) is provided by Bellsouth out of Orlando, Florida. Under Florida state law, the sale of fake diplomas is illegal, and false representation of credentials is also illegal. Bellsouth is officially assisting a criminal.

That use of the random words ni the subject line and at the end of the message is a particularly pathetic filter-evading technique.

SiL

IKillSpammerz said...

And here's another that exposes more about how this particular spammer's templates are set up. It also shows that these criminals are targeting people who have possibly been hit hard by the economic downturn.

------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Those young people taking the position you deserve because you lack a Degree for a suitable life. adjectional adpao airboat

Halo!!

Do you want a good future, soar in money earning power, and the respect of all?

Special offer:
We can assist with Diplomas from prestigious universities based on your present
knowledge and professional experience.

Get a Degree in 4 weeks with our program!

~Our program will let ANYONE with professional experience
get a 100% verified Degree:

~Doctorate
~Bachelors
~Masters

- Think about it...
- Just follow YOUR Dreams!
- Live a much better life by earning or upgrading your degree.

This is a good chance to make a right move and receive your due
benefits... if you are qualified but are lacking that piece of paper. Get one from
us in a short time.

If you want to get better - you must Contact Today to start improving your life!

~CONTACT US FOR A FREE CONSULTATION~

1-407-245-7320

You must leave us a message with your name and phone number with country code if
outside USA and we'll call you back asap.

It's your way...
Make the right decision.

Best regards.

Do Not Reply to this Email.
We do not reply to text inquiries, and our server will reject all response traffic.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

advertises acaricide actinologous activable agathism

------------------------------------------------------------

Same phone number.

"Those young people taking the position you deserve" - what is this, Scooby Doo? I would have gotten that job if it weren't for those meddling kids.

It's really just more proof that spammers have literall no skills to speak of.

SiL

IKillSpammerz said...

Now they're being extremely bold about their purposes, making even more clear the illegal nature of

Subject: Why go to Harvard? Beat the system for a suitable life. acanthus adreamt aerodynamically

Hey bud!!

Do you want a good future, double in earning power, and pat on the back :)?

Today only:
We can assist with Diplomas from prestigious universities based on your present
knowledge and professional experience.

Get a Degree in 6 weeks with our program!

~Our program will help EVERYONE with professional experience
get a 100% verified Degree:

~Doctorate
~Bachelors
~Masters

- Just think about it...
- Realize YOUR Dreams!
- Live a much better life by earning or upgrading your degree.

This is a splendid chance to make a right move and receive your due
benefits... if you are qualified but are lacking that piece of paper. Get one from
us in a fraction of the time.

Contact Today to start improving your life!

~CALL US FOR A FREE CONSULTATION~

1-301-396-3506

You must leave us a voice message with your phone number with country code if
outside USA and name and we'll call you back as soon as possible.

It's your decision...
Make the right decision.

Best regards.

Do Not Reply to this Email.
We do not reply to text inquiries, and our server will reject all response traffic.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

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"Why go to Harvard"?! How about because you actually gain the genuine educational background instead of lying about it by buying fake documentation, you idiots?

Of course they swap the word "Harvard" with "Princeton", "Yale", "UCLA", etc.

SiL

IKillSpammerz said...

And more recently they now refer to their criminal acts as the "Recognition of Prior Learning [RPL] program":

Subject: Thousands have already used our services and work in huge companies right now.

In today's world, sad to say, it is simply no longer good enough to just excel at
what you do.Very often, in addition to professional abilities a university diploma
will be a firm prerequisite for any positon you seek.You can be very qualified, with
years of practical experience and nonetheless be held back from even obtaining an
interview for an appropriate position in your field due to the lack of a university
diploma.Fortunately, you CAN get credit for your knowledge and experience by taking
advantage of a Recognition of Prior Learning [RPL] program offered by many
universities today.RPL is a process that assesses the individual’s formal and
non-formal level of knowledge, in order to determine the extent to which that
individual has achieved the required learning and competency to complete a
qualification.Call us right now and get the credit & recognition you deserve.
Call us right now for your customized diploma: Inside U.SA.: 1-718-989-5740 Outside
U.S.A.: +1-718-989-5740.
Just leave your NAME & TEL. PHONE # (with country-code) on the voicemail and one of
our staff members will get back to you promptly!


SiL

fellow spam hater said...

Hi, Spam Killer. I'm a spam hater like you. Since you hate spammers like I do, I was wondering if you'd like to get rid of a certain spammer who I found.

It's a guy who's been spamming a certain website with many delusional posts. He even typed that he was going to take over the like he's some kind of villain. How deluded is he?

Would you like me to tell you what that spammer's name is and the site that he spams?

IKillSpammerz said...

@fellow spam hater: you never left any contact details so I'm now forced to publish your comment. If you read my comment posting paragraph, I make it clear that you can tell me this info and I won't publish it. Let me know.

SiL

Mark said...

In a way, I've been thinking....this anonymouse poster does have a good point. The "fake diplomas" themselves may not be "illegal" (after all, last time I was at Spencer's Gifts, I found "fake" parking tickets even!) but using them in nefarious ways COULD BE/IS illegal...

Obviously, if you used a fake diploma to land a high paying job, if found, I'm sure you could be sued for/with "false representation"....

All I know, is the last time I filled out job applications and handed out resumes, NO business that I walked in asked for "proof" of a degree, as in, a "diploma" - so a "fake diploma" isn't going to help you much!

When the job hunters go doing your background check, they will physically CONTACT the schools, institutions, etc. that you "represented" on your resume or application....there's no "bullshitting" this.....unless you got lots of money, or "know" the personnel who work (and answer calls) at the schools, colleges, universities or institutions that you chose to reference on your application or resume.

No where in my hiring process was I asked to furnish my actual diplomas! There's a "reason" for this.....they can be easily faked, with what some parchment paper or card stock, and some fancy fonts?

So to sum up, sure I can't see anything "illegal" of phusically "possessing" a "fake" diploma (as in, a degree that you do not actually hold)...though I wouldn't trust my payment details to one of these "fly by night" spammers who uses disposable VoIP (Skype? Magic Jack?) voicemail boxes.....ever tried calling one? All those "diploma mill" numbers are is a drop box, they ask you to leave your name and telephone number, and what "degree" you are interested in so they can "get back to you"...

But with this day and age of background checks, I don't think any business will actually fall for a fake diploma...simply because they don't ask for your diplomas! They will ask you to mail them your "transcripts" for your education/degree(s)....

Now, if these guys got crafty, they'd start forging letter heads, process their own "legit" looking envelopes of schools, universities, and institutions, but that won't work either. A smart employer is going to call up a school to verify education history using a verified telephone number in the white pages (or on the schools web site), not some fake telephone number that you give them for some 24/7 support line in India....

Wow....this post got wayyyyy too long...but I hope y'all understand where I'm getting at :) Just having a diploma in hand don't mean jack, cause the employer is going to do leg work to make contact with the schools you put on your resume to verify your education!