Caution over fake online courses

 CITIZENS have been warned against buying fake degrees from non-existent institutions.

The warning came from Higher Education and Research, Science and Technology Minister David Arore following a newspaper advertisement last Friday by an educational institution.

He said the fake educational establishment was found on the Wikipedia website calling for applications from individuals interested in open distance learning and research activities.

It also requested successful applicants to pay a fee and start immediately. 

“I warn Papua New Guineans not to be misled by these fake educational establishments. 

“Be mindful and aware when applying for a degree over the internet,” Arore said.

He further appealed to parents and Papua New Guineans to consult his office to verify the genuineness of an institution before applying for courses over the internet which could see them lose their money. 

Hubert Dadda from Morobe province said he applied to test it out.

“I read this article and applied on an application form, which I received immediately. However, the application was from Malaysia.

“And it looked fishy with the institution already taking me in as an already accepted student. They required me to pay and start off immediately.” 

After searching the site, he found out it was a scam. 

“They do the usual things.

“They claim to employ various academics.

“None of whom can be traced, they claim to be accredited but in fact their accreditation is from an unrecognised body and they claim to be based in places where they aren’t even registered as a company,” Dadda said.