University graduates spend 4 whole years extensively studying a specialty area of study that allows them to obtain a lucrative degree to enter the workforce in their respective field. They’ve put in significant blood, sweat and tears to gain the knowledge they need to work in their selected career paths and they are rewarded with a diploma that acknowledges this achievement. Now imagine someone casually buying the same credential, like they’re shopping online at Amazon, without putting in any of the work. Frustrating, right?

Well, that’s what Almeda University did. Almeda University offers individuals who do not or cannot pursue a formal education with the business opportunity of purchasing a degree. The school is NOT widely recognized as a degree-granting university by the US Department of Education or any accrediting agency. This means that, if you or someone you know has a degree from Almeda, it is fake. This scam has escalated to the point where well-respected people in high-level positions at both smaller and reputable organizations have purchased fake degrees to fast-track their careers.

It’s a scary thought, isn’t it? Imagine somebody holding a position with high liability and the responsibility for other lives without having the actual educational background to successfully fulfill these obligations. The director of a department responsible for leading the company’s future with a fake degree? A nurse responsible for the lives of his/her patients, a lawyer responsible for the lives of his/her clients, a police officer responsible for the lives of the public? It is concerning how these people can effectively perform their jobs if they don’t have the learned knowledge needed to understand what they are doing. What about the people who’ve already established careers thanks to the fake degree? Many of these people would not be in the positions they are in today, without their Almeda degree. Many of these people lucked out.

Now there are two ways to look at this. Opportunity doesn’t come to everybody. Life can be hard. People who have familial or parental obligations that prevent them from spending time in an institution, people who don’t have the academic intelligence to enter an accredited university, people who can’t afford a proper degree but are offered extensive discounts to purchase a fake one are likely among the target audiences for Almeda degrees. The moral question is: should these people be allowed the same opportunity for a better future? Is this the way to do it? Alternatively, many people in regular institutions have similar struggles and fight to obtain their education anyway so, if they can do it, why can’t these people? Whatever way you look at it, the fact of the matter is that the degrees are not real and cannot be compared with certifications from accredited institutions.

Schools enforce academic integrity but purchasing a fake document and then lying about having a degree is the exact opposite of academic integrity. In fact, it’s fraud. So, this is a PSA for employers – if you see a resume that lists Almeda University as a credential, keep in mind that this degree is not real and then think about what kind of person this candidate must be if they knowingly participated in fraud. Is that the type of person you want in your company? Probably not.