The 6 Snares Fake Schools Set

Watch out. There are dozens of online schools that appear legitimate but do nothing to back their claims of providing you with a meaningful education and a genuine diploma. These rip-off schools take thousands of dollars from well-meaning students every year. So, before you end up with a diploma that's not worth the paper it's printed on, check to make sure any school you are considering hasn't set one of these traps.

1. Fake accreditation site. Any school can make the claim that they are “fully accredited.” However, unless they’re accredited by the proper regional association, this classification will mean little to the validity of your diploma. Some fake schools claim to be accredited under equally fake accrediting boards. Some schools even make up their own accrediting agencies, complete with links to impressive looking websites. Don’t take a school’s word for it; check with the regional association before you believe that an online school is actually accredited.

2. Limited contact information. If a school doesn’t provide a phone number and a physical address, warning bells should be going off in your mind. Email is convenient. However, every legitimate school should be able to provide students with a way to get help in person or over the phone.

3. Fancy website. For some reason, it’s easier to take organizations seriously when their website looks official. But, don’t equate legitimacy with looks. Fake schools have the funds to create impressive looking sites because they’ve been scamming students out of hundreds of dollars.

4. .edu. Don’t be fooled with a website’s TLD. A school isn’t necessarily affiliated with a legitimate educational organization just because its address ends in .edu,. Although .edu websites are reserved for educational institutions, the domain purchasing process wasn't always as strict as it is today. In fact, unaccredited schools or those seeking accreditation may still be able to purchase a .edu website.

5. FAQs. Fake schools know that you’re going to have questions, and they try to address these common concerns in ways that appease the reader. But, don’t believe everything you read, especially on the internet. Some counterfeit schools will even lie to you. Just because they say you have nothing to worry about doesn’t mean it’s true.

6. Extreme claims. Everyone wants a good deal. But, be wary of extreme deals in education. Any school that claims you can finish a degree extremely fast or with minimal work is likely to be a fake. Deals that sound too good to be true usually are.