Virtual Learning Scams You Probably Didn’t Know About! A Review Of The Current Online Learning Landscape
The Problem Of Online Scams In Education With online learning being on the rise, scammers are hopping on to the bandwagon to make a quick buck by defrauding unassuming students, guardians and educators. Thus, it is important to know the red flags to protect your money as well as your personal information from these scammers and fraudsters. In this presentation, we will list out and review some of the most common types of virtual learning scams for you.
1. Fake Degree Scams In this type of a scam, malicious individuals or fraudulent entities may make promises of lucrative degrees and convince you to register for a course. Given that this is a highly unregulated area, it is easy to promote a fraudulent business as a legitimate educational institution. Once people get enrolled, they get to know that the degree is actually useless or fake altogether. Therefore, it is important to do your own research, check reviews as well as the reputation of the institution before you make your decision.
2. Scammers Promising Employment Post Course Completion This is more common than it should be. There have been hundreds of cases wherein scammers have posed as officials associated with top educational institutions and promised 100% job placements to those who complete their courses. They usually reach out to potential victims through spam emails that look extremely professional. However, fraudsters may just disappear with the money or not fulfil their promises. Therefore, do double-check reviews and read the fine print of admission forms before you enrol for a course.
3. Ghost Schools It is not very difficult to claim that an online course is being offered by a well-established college or university in a remote country. However, upon researching, one may find that the institution doesn’t even exist! Here, scammers and spammers usually make a substantial profit by selling subscriptions or by charging an exorbitant admission fee.
How To Know If An Online Learning Course Is Fake? ● ●
●
Check its accreditation. Read the name of the institution it is associated with carefully. Are you sure that it simply sounds like a prestigious university, but it actually isn't? For instance, have you really gotten a mail from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) or does the ‘M’ actually stand for Manhattan? Go through the contact details and ask your friends for reviews. Call the respective party and clear your doubts. If it sounds fishy, then trust your instincts!
Thank You! Presented By: Naushin Hayat Manager, Education 2.0 Conference https://www.education2conf.com/