The latest diploma mill news involves a key leader at the U.S. Army's Aviation and Missile Command. It seems that he used his fake degree to get a pay raise and promotion. A local news station caught him in the act. This guy‘s resume lists that he got that bachelor's degree in 2001 (from the diploma mill). The next year, he got a promotion, to Senior Command Representative in Korea. Two years later, he was reassigned to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville as the Deputy Director of Readiness. He was later promoted to Director of Readiness.
(Read the story here. It's three pages)
(Here is a link to the fake university)
The diploma mill in question is The Trinity College and University. The name even sounds hokey. Any institution I have ever heard of is either a college or a university. Not both. The slogan for the school is “providing degrees based on your previous life experience”, but I am sure you can just buy the one that meets your needs. They even let you order a cap and gown for a pretend graduation.
What is really funny is their section about accreditation.
At Trinity, we believe that by having an Accreditation Association, the Correspondence Accreditation Association (CAA), the awards are stimulated, strengthened and substantiated. So we formed the association, the Correspondence Accreditation Association, which will confirm your awards to any enquirer. Upon written request, we confirm the degree awarded, its date and subject, this is normally all that is required from any inquirer.
They needed to be accredited so they started their own agency. How neat.
We can also supply Transcript of Studies at a cost of £30 (US$50) and Legal Declarations of the authenticity of your degree certificates at a cost of £30 (US$50) each. Not everyone needs transcripts since most european (sic) institutions do not supply them, but we will supply them on the basis of your degree and your experience where required.
This “school” is in Spain. I am not sure what (if anything) American agencies can do to them. But I wanted to make you aware of it.
Diploma mills have been outed.
In my next post, I will write about what I think of people who get “degrees” from diploma mills and use them for promotions and other self-interest.