Last Updated on October 12, 2026
Degree and accreditation mills leave you with worthless degrees after you pay a lot of money… Here are some tips to protect yourself and recognize degree scams and fake accreditation.
Over the last few decades, online colleges have become increasingly popular for earning an academic degree. And to be fair, online learning is a great option for students with busy schedules and people living in remote areas. The advantages are obvious. Without long commutes or spending much time on a college campus, you can study when and where it suits you best.
Many students choose to earn degrees from legitimate, reputable online colleges, but fake diplomas and degree mills exploit the growing demand for online degrees. Often, students don’t recognize these scams, so the question is: What should you do to avoid them, and how can you protect yourself?
Types of Degree Scams
Scammers use multiple methods to get your hard-earned money. Examples include accreditation mills, diploma mills, and fake Life Experience Degrees (or certificates). Unfortunately, more and more honest, innocent people fall for these con artists. Let’s take a closer look.
Diploma Mills
Diploma mills are bogus schools that sell fake diplomas. These “schools” are not accredited by a legitimate accrediting agency. Very often, though, these bogus schools are supported by dubious institutions or accreditation mills. In general, we can see two different types of fake schools or diploma mills:
- Diploma mills that simply sell academic degrees or certificates for cash
- Diploma mills that pretend to be a legitimate educational institution
Accreditation Mills
Accreditation mills are organizations that provide bogus “accreditation” to fake institutions of higher education for a fee. These scams are not recognized or authorized by mainstream academia or the U.S. government to grant any sort of accreditation. They often have impressive names, but beware: they’re just scams.
Life Experience Certificates and Degrees
Sure, for professional experience, certification, or licenses, you may receive a limited number of college credits. You may then qualify to skip some classes toward your degree, but you can never earn an entire degree solely based on your “life experience.” So if you want to earn a degree in Project Management online, for example, double-check the institution to avoid disappointment.
So if you come across an organization that claims that from their “school” you may achieve a bachelor’s degree solely because of your earlier life experience, think again! Don’t fall for these scammers, and never submit your credit card details!
How to Recognize a Fake Degree Mill or a Higher Education Scammer
Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish a legitimate school from a scam. Use these tips to stay alert and make the right decision.
- The “school” has a name that is similar to that of a legit university
- It has only a P.O. Box, or no address at all.
- The “school’s” website contains merely a contact form
- The website does not include a phone number
- Be alarmed if the “school” has no .edu web address
- It is surely fake if you can earn a degree by just emailing or faxing your resume
- If there are entire degrees offered for life experience
- The tuition cost for a degree is just a flat rate instead of per credit hour or class
- Be aware if there is no (or little) interaction possibility with professors
- Be alarmed by “schools” that promise a degree in, for example, 30 days
- Check blogs, forums, and other online resources for negative comments about the “school”
- Watch out if a “school” offers a discount when you enroll in multiple programs!
- Check the “school” on its accreditation. The U.S. Dept. of Education provides lists with bogus accreditation names and abbreviations.
- There should be more needed than just a credit card to “enroll”
- Check the reports of the BBB (Better Business Bureau) on the “school”
- If the “school” is in a foreign country, the alarm bells should ring
- In general: If the school’s claims are too good to be true, they usually are.
Consequences
Accreditation is key, and many schools offer international accreditation to better serve students in the global arena. Also here, checking whether the school is legitimate is imperative!
Buying a fake diploma from a fraudulent school can have pretty nasty consequences. Besides the risk of losing your job if your employer finds out your degree isn’t legitimate, you also risk being charged with credit identity theft or facing hefty fines. You’ll understand it’s not worth it.
Accreditation Verification
To confirm a school is legitimate and properly accredited, visit the CHEU (Council for Higher Education Accreditation) website or check the Department of Education website for online information. There, you can see whether the school you’re interested in is legitimately accredited or blacklisted.
When you explore the Internet, you will find many more resources that provide useful information on this important issue. Just make sure you don’t get scammed by these robbers!
Keep in mind that just because a school says it is accredited, this doesn’t necessarily mean it is legitimately accredited! Do your own research, so you know what and who you’re dealing with!
Report Fraud, Always!
If you got scammed, please report it! Inform as many organizations as possible about the fraudulent school or organization. Report it to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the ICCC (Internet Crime Complaint Center).
Share how and when you got scammed on as many online forums as possible, or start your own blog/vlog post about your bad experience to warn other potential victims in time!
But keep in mind that most online schools are legitimate and offer great online solutions to help people keep up their academic progress toward a better life!