Fake Degree Scam In China Busted

A private American university education for just $10,000 may sound too good to be true, but for some Chinese executives, the dream became a reality. According to China Daily, more than 30 people, including several senior members of large corporations, were involved in a diploma-mill scam that amounted to about 3.4 million yuan ($540,000).

The Spanish-language People's Daily reports that the nine suspects accused of selling fake diplomas from U.S. universities stood trial on Monday. Liao Huangqi and Li Yongqiang, the alleged masterminds of the group, fabricated names of U.S. universities, such as the “American National University of Washington,” ECNS reports.

Liao and Li stipulated that “students” would pay tuition and receive a diploma, without ever having to attend a class or take a single exam, Shanghai Daily notes.

The accused scam-leaders confessed to committing fraud during a three-hour trial, according to China Daily, but the judge has not yet given a sentence. Liao likely sold prospective students on his personal success story; in 2006, he paid 65,000 yuan ($10,300) for a training class held by Li, for which he acquired a fake degree, according to the report. Liao joined forces with Li on the scam operation.

Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time people forged diplomas, or that fake official documents came out of China.

In 2008, The New York Times reported that Dixie and Steven K. Randock, Sr., a couple from Washington, sold more than 10,000 fake diplomas. The couple collected more than $7 million in revenue, the report showed.

In addition, China has been in the news of late for counterfeit driver's licenses, made available online, with all the bells and whistles necessary to get past airport security.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[genrel1248]

10:13 PM on 04/15/2012

A fake Chinese diploma is just as good as a real one from Glenn Beck U.

[esotericus01]

07:45 PM on 04/12/2012

At least they're a little more original in their scam than those clowns in Nigeria...

[wildtill9]

07:06 PM on 04/12/2012

Buisness as usual

[WHEELS221]

06:23 PM on 04/12/2012

Should this SURPRIZE us? CHINA making BOGUS diplomas. Everything about CHINA is BOGUS..

[zbb]

04:04 PM on 04/14/2012

Do you have one of those fake degrees? Your wrong spelling of the word surprise really makes you suspicious.

[daigz]

06:45 PM on 04/14/2012

Nah, I think he just got a stamp on his forehead or something.

[WHEELS221]

07:13 PM on 04/14/2012

Are you really telling me that you think China does not "copy" things and remanufacture them? Have you head about the ROLEX watches being made there along with a whole slew of knock offs? And about our government investigation aircraft parts that were suppose to be made by American Manufacturers being subbed outr to the Chinese. They were subbed out because China can mimmick so well what they manufacture. But the reason it was discovered is our planes were crashing a little too often. AND THIS IS OK WITH YOU? Idiot

[averagezoe]

06:07 PM on 04/12/2012

Fake degrees notwithstanding, most Chinese high school graduates are on the same level as most Americans with a BA or BS.

[natureman44]

04:34 PM on 04/12/2012

A democrat Jimmy Carter gave most favored Nation Trading Status to China way back in 1979. Bill Clinton campaigned on the promise he would reverse the MFN status due to the human rights abuses in China. He broke his promise and renewed Chinas MFN status once again. Clinton said..,"I am moving, therefore, to de-link human rights from the annual extension of Most Favored Nation trading status for China." --President Bill Clinton, announcing MFN status for China, White House, 5-26-94.
You want to blame someone? blame the democrats, they got us into this trading pact with China.

[JessWonderin]

09:55 PM on 04/14/2012

Thought Nixon opened China??? . . sorry . . . I hate FACTS too . . .

[WminPhoenix]

03:23 PM on 04/12/2012

Sounds just like the University of Cash, er ah Phoenix!

[obamathegreat235]

05:44 PM on 04/12/2012

I resent that statement for University of Phoenix is accredited by the same regional accreditation as top tier universities. Ignorance should not be your stumbling block.

http://www.phoenix.edu/about_us/accreditation.html

[obamathegreat235]

06:21 PM on 04/12/2012

Also, I am proud to say I am a graduate from University of Phoenix with an MBA in Healthcare Management to which I worked my so and so off to achieve. My degree is fully accredited both regionally and business program accreditation. I also had no problem with employers accepting my graduate credentials from University of Phoenix.

[natureman44]

02:27 PM on 04/12/2012

This would be an Obama birth certificate paradise, wouldn't it ! These chinese scammers probably got their idea for this fake degree program, by seeing how many gullible people in the U.S. were falling for the fake documents Obama was using.

[patspov]

04:35 PM on 04/12/2012

Your accusation seems to be missing something,, evidence?...proof?....or should we just tune into Fox and believe everything they tell you.

[natureman44]

05:48 PM on 04/12/2012

The evidence for his documents being fake is much stronger than any evidence pointing to them being genuine. His draft card is dated with a method not used by the post office that particular year. No original birth certificate has ever been shown and an ex employee that worked in the Hawaiian office of records has signed a document saying there never was a birth certificate, and when he requested documents from the hospital stating Obama was born there, they said no records of Obama being born there ever existed. Fact...his social security number issued to him was first issued to a man in Conneticut who is now deceased. His illegal uncle in Massachusetts, also has a social security number issued in Conneticut. No records exist showing either man ever lived in Conneticut. This doesn't make you suspicious?

[natureman44]

05:57 PM on 04/12/2012

Another thing patspov, that should make you a little suspicious is the fact that the immigration records of people coming into the U.S.A the week that Obama claims as his date of birth have gone missing. Kind of strange that the weeks and months before and after his DOB are still in place. Only during the week of his birth did immigration records mysteriously go missing from their files. No one can explain this fact.

[obamathegreat235]

05:44 PM on 04/12/2012

So where is Romney's birth certificate?

[natureman44]

06:38 PM on 04/12/2012

Romney was born to American citizens living in a Mormon church colony in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Even though he wasn’t born in a United States territory or state, George Romney was given citizenship at birth because he was born to American citizens, essentially granting him the status of a natural-born citizen.

“When you’re born outside the United States to [U.S.] citizens, you have citizenship at birth,” explained Peter J. Spiro, a professor of law and an expert on the law of citizenship at Temple University. “You don’t have to do anything to claim your citizenship. You are a citizen from birth.”

Former Sen. Don Nickles introduced the Natural Born Citizen Act in 2004 to define the term, natural-born citizen, to include people who derived citizenship at birth from a U.S. citizen parent and to children under 18 who were adopted by U.S. citizens.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, went a step further, introducing the Equal Right to Govern Amendment in July 2003 to allow immigrants who had been naturalized for at least 20 years to run for president.

We all know where Romney was born, but we don't know for sure about Obama.

[John Wampler]

02:14 PM on 04/12/2012

So, let's see. Pay 65,000 yuan for a diploma for which classes you never attended and then claim to be a victim? Sounds more like an accomplice to me.

[pbgardenpet]

01:38 PM on 04/12/2012

I guess obama got his degree from this outfit.

[gp341]

02:22 PM on 04/12/2012

That would be Bush, knucklehead.

[pbgardenpet]

03:59 PM on 04/12/2012

We have seen Bush's transcripts. obama won't let anybody see his. That is if he has any at all. He sure doesn't act like it.

[k535panther]

01:32 PM on 04/12/2012

Ummmm... let me see, where do I want to say I graduated from....Ahh the choices...

[giantsblue1968]

01:26 PM on 04/12/2012

DONT GO TO CHINESE RESTUARANT OR BUY STUFF ANY THING FROM CHINA PERIOD END !!

[John Wampler]

01:24 PM on 04/12/2012

I don't see the problem. We have a fake US citizen for President

[sixtongue]

02:01 PM on 04/12/2012

Unfotunately, the Presidents fake documents made in the U.S. didn,t standup up to the Arpiao examination, so the DC crowd will start using China .....

[natureman44]

02:41 PM on 04/12/2012

Yes John, everything points in that direction. Did you know that Hillery and Bill were going to bring up the fact that Barack was not a citizen of the U.S. but were threatened by "someone" and told bad things would happen if they revealed anything about his citizenship. Some people who worked for the Hillary presidential campaign have given sworn statements to this fact. And an investigation of these allegations is underway at this time. One of these people is a Hollywood movie maker or writer that are friends of the Clintons.

[qusakamoto]

05:09 PM on 04/12/2012

I bet you draw something from the govt.and do not live off nature.Are you right wingers serious or are you trying to help Help Obama win again.He did not need you to
win the first time and you are handing it to now with your comments

[Streetwise4444]

12:44 PM on 04/12/2012

Even a Chinese Masters Degree is better than not even having a high school diploma.

[Rick Bailor]

12:37 PM on 04/12/2012

China is destroying American standards on many fronts and we are letting them do it.

[dknowles60]

01:56 PM on 04/12/2012

hear! hear! china even has been selling the us millitary fake parts