Hello--
I work with consumer issues such as this on a daily basis. I have
carefully researched your question and have your answer.
I suspect your diploma looks something like this:
http://members.aye.net/~billym/metronew.gif
This company is reported by the United States FBI as being a fake
college. The FBI found this company operated with something similar to
a post office box in London, taking people's money and producing fake
diplomas. The diploma your husband has is not valid.
I conducted some research of my own for you. I first went to the South
Carolina Secretary of State's online database. You may search it
yourself at http://www.scsos.com/corp_search.htm
Every corporation ever registered to do business in the state of South
Carolina must comply with the laws of the state. It would need to be
included in this database. I ran both "Professional Degree Consulting
Service" and "Metropolitan Collegiate Institute" in this database. No
company named either of these (or anything similar) has ever been
legally operating in the state of South Carolina.
I found a site that actually sells diplomas very similar to the one
your husband has. If you go to the site that sells these diplomas,
you'll see this warning at the bottom of the page:
"Disclaimer Warning: These certificates are extremely authentic in
appearance and are intended for novelty purposes only. Commercial use
is restricted to institutions authorized by law to award certificates,
diplomas, and degrees. They are not intended for and we take no
responsibility for their use in any matters perpetrating fraud."
These are not authentic diplomas. You may view the site that sells
these online. The link is http://members.aye.net/~billym/
Further, a group called NY Press states right out that the
Metropolitan Collegiate Institute is a diploma mill (meaning a company
that sells diplomas for a fee that are not legitimate). The newspaper
writes, "The Metropolitan Collegiate Institute, whose last known
address was 72 New Bond St., London UK W1S 1RR, is a British diploma
mill that sells all degrees, including medical and dental, for $100 or
less. Its address is a mail forwarding service that it shares with a
bogus hospital, Sussex General Hospital. Sussex generated customized
references on demand, attesting to the internships of Metropolitan’s
graduates. The BBC called these two institutions a "fake doctor
factory," providing phony physicians to the United States and the
Third World."
You my view this online. The link is
http://www.nypress.com/15/40/news&columns/oldsmoke.cfm
Another report says the same thing, "Documents on file with the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement show a diploma of "Doctor of
Medicine" made out Gregory Caplinger from the Metropolitan Collegiate
Institute of London, England, and another diploma from Sussex College
of Technology in Sussex, England for Doctor of Science in
biochemistry/immunology. Inquires made by Florida authorities to the
London Metropolitan Police reveals that these institution are "not
registered with the Department of Education and Science as
establishments authorized for medical training, nor were these degrees
recognized by the British Medical Council. Further, British medical
administrators could not find Caplinger's name in its registry list of
medical practitioners."
You may view this online. The link is
http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/11/01/04.html
The BBC News, based in London, has even done a story about how this is
a scam. It reported that graduates of this Institute do not have
proper training or classwork to warrant degrees. The report discusses
how FBI agents found this "Institute" operated for about two decades.
FBI agents, it was reported, found that customers are provided with
fake degrees from a mail drop - similar to a post office box - in
London. The FBI confirmed these degrees are fake, according to the
report.
You may read this entire report online. The link is
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/1039562.stm
Diploma mills have been a common American scam for about the past two
decades.
I found what the Better Business Bureau warns about companies like
these. Below is the text of a BBB report:
"Is the Internet Becoming a Haven for Diploma Mills?
As the concept of earning a degree without leaving home becomes more
accepted, the most virtual of virtual universities - better know as
digital diploma mills - are gaining enrollees. Many fraudulent diploma
mills are capitalizing on the growth in popularity of distance
learning opportunities and are using the freedom of the Internet to
lure students into their “programs.”
Diploma mills have existed for decades. They often operate out of
phone boiler rooms with high-pressure telemarketers who follow up
e-mail requests and web site visits with an aggressive enrollment
approach via the telephone. They are known to advertise heavily in
magazines, on the Internet in newsgroups, and at impressive-looking
web sites. In many cases they prey on people’s lack of knowledge and
confusion about accreditation. And, they often advertise widely as
being “fully accredited”, “nationally accredited”, or “accredited
worldwide.” If these diploma mills are accredited, it is usually by
unrecognized or even bogus agencies.
How can you tell the difference between legitimate online universities
and diploma mills? The Better Business Bureau suggests you do some
homework and watch for these red flags:
Degrees that can be earned in less time than at a traditional college
A list of accrediting agencies that sounds a little too impressive.
Some schools list accreditation by organizations that are not
recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or imply official
approval by mentioning of state “registration” or licensing. When in
doubt check with the Council on Higher Education Accreditation
(www.chea.org).
Offers that place heavy emphasis on offering college credits for
lifetime or real world experience.
Tuition paid on a per-degree basis, or discounts for enrolling in
multiple degree programs. Traditional colleges charge by credit hours,
course, or semester.
Little or no interaction with professors.
Names that are similar to well known reputable universities.
Addresses that are box numbers or suites. That campus may very well be
a mail drop box or someone’s attic.
If you still have doubts, contact your Better Business Bureau or state
attorney general’s office to make sure the school is operating legally
in a state and to see if anyone has filed a complaint. A bogus degree
from a diploma mill is not likely to impress prospective employers and
could be a complete waste of money."
You may view this report online. The link is
http://www.bbb.org/library/diplomamills.asp
To conduct this research, I searched the following terms:
"Metropolitan Collegiate Institute"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22Metropolitan+Collegiate+Institute%22
I hope this helps. If you need any clarification, please don't
hesitate to ask. I take a great deal of interest in consumer issues
such as these and am happy to help.
Thanks,
darrel-ga |
