Degreefinders.com Scam?

davedemster · #1 12-17-06, 02:32 PM

Does anyone on here know anything about Degreefinders.com and the owner, Rodney Merrill? It appears he is running a site that is playing both ends against the middle by pretending to speak out against degree mills, then selling information on degree mills. Apparently this is now a common way to scam people, by pretending to be exposing fraud while actually ripping people off. He is claiming he is an expert and consultant in online learning.

I think Rodney Merrill and Degreefinders.com are a scam. For example, he recently posted a comment supporting Columbia Pacific University in the Crud of the Month section of Shameless Reviews, which wrote a review slamming John M. La Tourrette and his scams.
http://www.shamelessreviews.com/2006...6/#comment-100. So he supports degree mills like Columbia Pacific University, but pretends to be against them on parts of his web site. Here is the complete Blog feed he posted to: http://www.shamelessreviews.com/2006...ber-2006/feed/

Has anyone had dealings with this person and firm or have any information on them?

Scrub · #2 12-17-06, 02:45 PM

Quote:

They are listed as one of the unaccredited Colleges and Universities by The State of Michigan.gov
www.michigan.gov

Quote:

Degree Scams

Ever heard these lines?

* Get a college degree in 27 days!
* No classes, books, or tests!
* Everyone accepted, no one turned down!
* Receive a handsome diploma and official school ring!

These are the telltale signs of "degree scam" -- claims made by a school that probably doesn't exist. The "school" may have a post office box and a toll-free phone number. But the school's only purpose is to take your money. Don't be fooled! Scam schools use newspaper ads and "spam-mail" to lure unsuspecting consumers.

* Scam schools may claim to be "accredited." But unless accreditation is from an official agency, the school's degree may be worthless.
* Scam schools often promise that you'll earn millions more with their degree. Such claims are bogus. Only hard work and legitimate degrees can boost your earnings.
* Degrees from scam schools can hurt, not help, you. Your reputation may be on the line.

PREPARE FOR MY FUTURE
Diploma Mills and Accreditation - Resources and Publications
| Diploma Mills and Accreditation Home |
| Diploma Mills | Accreditation |

Consumers must remain vigilant as they pursue their education. This site is not meant to deter you from getting a degree. Make sure that you take advantage of the resources available to you and learn as much as you can about the institutions you are interested in attending.

Here are more helpful resources on accreditation and diploma mills:
Accreditation and Licensing

U.S. Department of Education - A list of all postsecondary institutions that are accredited by agencies recognized by the Secretary of Education.
http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation

U.S. Department of Education - Overview of accreditation in the United States and List of Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies.
www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

Council for Higher Education Accreditation - CHEA Fact Sheet #2: The Role of Accreditation and Assuring Quality in Electronically Delivered Distance Learning (PDF)
www.chea.org/pdf/fact_sheet_2_dist_learn_02.pdf

National Association of State Administrators and Supervisors of Private Schools - Provides contact information for state licensing agencies as well as links to many of them.
www.nasasps.com

www.Degree.net - Simple questions to ask about accreditation about earning unaccredited degrees.
www.degree.net/guides/accreditation_faqs.html
Unaccredited Institutions

Oregon Student Assistance Commission - Overview of diploma mills and a list of unaccredited colleges and some diploma mills.
www.osac.state.or.us/oda/diploma_mill.html

Michigan's list of unaccredited colleges and universities (PDF).
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/No...ls_78090_7.pdf
Diploma Mills

Vermont Student Assistance Corporation - Information on degree scams, "How to Spot Them and Why You Should Avoid Them Like the Plague!"
http://services.vsac.org/ilwwcm/conn...n+for+College/

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Overview of how a well-known cluster of diploma mills operates (PDF).
www.hep.uiuc.edu/home/g-gollin/diploma_mills.pdf

Council for Higher Education Accreditation - A series of questions for students, government, and the public in case they encounter questionable providers of higher education. CHEA Fact Sheet #6: Important Questions about "Diploma Mills" and "Accreditation Mills" (PDF).
www.chea.org/pdf/fact_sheet_6_diploma_mills.pdf

Better Business Bureau - Is the Internet Becoming a Haven for Diploma Mills?
www.bbb.org/alerts/article.asp?ID=185

Degree.net - Online guides about diploma mills, five-step procedure for investigating schools, and accreditation.
www.degree.net/guides.html

www.Degreefinders.com - Information about accredited distance degrees and diploma mills.
http://www.degreefinders.com/distanc...ng/diploma.php

Federal Trade Commission Facts For Business - "Avoid Fake-Degree Burns By Researching Academic Credentials."
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/...plomamills.htm

Federal Trade Commission Consumer Alert - "Diploma Mills: Degrees of Deception."
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/...iplomaalrt.htm

http://www.ed.gov/students/prep/coll...resources.html

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