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Former FBI agent claims Karachi-based IT firm still selling fake academic degrees: report
ISLAMABAD: A former agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigations in the United States has alerted the Pakistani mission in Washington about the possible resurgence of a Karachi-based information technology firm invovled in selling fake academic degrees, The News reported on Monday.
Five years ago, an expose into the illegal operations of the firm by The New York Times had led to the closure of the firm. The owners of the company were arrested and sentenced to jail. Authorities had raided the officers of the firm and seized several incriminating documents.
In a letter addressed to the Pakistani mission, the former FBI agent claims the firm has started offering fake academic degrees again. The letter was addressed to Asad Majeed Khan, the Pakistani Ambassador to the United States, according to The News.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/287421-fo...rm-still-selling-fake-academic-degrees-report
ISLAMABAD: A former agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigations in the United States has alerted the Pakistani mission in Washington about the possible resurgence of a Karachi-based information technology firm invovled in selling fake academic degrees, The News reported on Monday.
Five years ago, an expose into the illegal operations of the firm by The New York Times had led to the closure of the firm. The owners of the company were arrested and sentenced to jail. Authorities had raided the officers of the firm and seized several incriminating documents.
In a letter addressed to the Pakistani mission, the former FBI agent claims the firm has started offering fake academic degrees again. The letter was addressed to Asad Majeed Khan, the Pakistani Ambassador to the United States, according to The News.
”Axact is in business today, doing what they have for the past 16 years. Degree sales range from $199 for single victims. Axact’s main target for their degree and transcript sales, followed by reported up-sell (blackmail and extortion) continues to be the Middle East," the letter reads.
'At least 100,000 diplomas sold in the US'
"It is followed by the United States (29%). I believe 100,000+ diplomas and transcripts have been sold in the United States alone via the Axact call centers in Pakistan. Local sales were at least 83+ in the District of Columbia, 2,632+ in the State of Maryland," it adds.
"As is customary, these were probably accompanied by notary attestations, Embassy seals and stamps, and US DOS Apostille Attestations (most likely all counterfeit)," wrote Allen Ezell, former FBI agent who was also head of FBI’s DipScam diploma-mill task force.
"Axact touts its fake schools as being American, utilising many addresses and telephone numbers in the United States, along with the ‘US Presidential Scholarship’ as bait to attract new students," the letter addressed to the envoy in Washington notes.
"To further this ‘American’ illusion, many of these web sites contain pictures of the US Capitol building, along with the American flag appearing numerous times on these web sites," claimed Ezell in his five-page letter dispatched to the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington.
'Employees never left their desks'
"While Axact was changing its name on the front of their building (cosmetic only), their employees inside never left their desks nor stopped selling fake degrees. Its employees sit in their cubes selling diplomas on both old and new fake schools, along with other scams," it reads.
"The name of their employer was changed on their building ID cards p Axact has increased its online education business to accommodate the millions of students, who because of the pandemic, can no longer attend their traditional brick and mortar schools," claimed the former FBI agent.
In a blog published online with the Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute on 22nd April, the agent says that 5,000 student inquiries per month with about 40% ‘enrollment. Monthly gross revenue is close to $2,000,000 for the IT firm based out of Pakistan.
"As a sales incentive, a $10,000 bonus is being offered when there has been $1,000,000 in sales for a single school. Axact has about 900 employees at their Karachi and Islamabad call centers working mainly on their fake classes scheme," he claimed.
'Did not even get a courtesy call'
"They advertise via pop ups and banners in social media. They lure their victims through ‘spider web’ type sites by field of interest, such aswww.gulfonlineeducation.com, www.onlineengineeringguide.com and www.onlinedegreeprofs.com," he added further in his blog.
When asked to comment on his allegations, the former agent said he had left several messages to Pakistani authorities. "With about five voice mails left at [Pakistan] Embassy and two conversations with his [Ambassador Khan] secretary, I did not get even a courtesy call," he said.
"Since I am retired from the FBI I have no idea how many buyers have submitted the Internet based complaint to the FBI, USPO, USSS, FTC, etc. I am sure some have, but I do not have details. I know of no investigations in this country by anyone except the FBI," he added.
"I can't answer some of your questions without jeopardizing some sources. In the last several weeks I have spoken to an Axact/Crest fake school salesperson about a school, and seen new sample documents so I positively know the game is on," he told The News.
'Never contacted by anyone about Axact'
"I have only hit the high spots in this 20+ year fraud—it is like an iceberg, the likes of which the world has not previously seen. I am in the process of writing additional articles on the Axact criminal enterprise. I want to be accurate in my writings," he wrote in his letter.
Ambassador Khan, while talking to The News, said he was not in knowledge of any such development yet. "I have never been contacted by anyone regarding Axact during my time here as Ambassador. I don’t recall seeing anything from him. Nor any of my colleagues," he said.
Amir Mansoob, consul for Axact, in his response to this retired FBI agent’s letter, strongly rebutted the claim. A similar letter of some FBI official was produced before the FIA investigation team in Pakistan as an evidence, which later courts did not consider as admissible evidence, the firm’s counsel claimed.
“Our firm’s representative challenged that one FBI’s official letter in a local court in US. where it was proved years back that the Axact was not doing an illegal operations anywhere in US. Nothing found wrong or unlawful and there existed no such issue of fake or forged degrees/diplomas operations," the lawyer further argued.
'At least 100,000 diplomas sold in the US'
"It is followed by the United States (29%). I believe 100,000+ diplomas and transcripts have been sold in the United States alone via the Axact call centers in Pakistan. Local sales were at least 83+ in the District of Columbia, 2,632+ in the State of Maryland," it adds.
"As is customary, these were probably accompanied by notary attestations, Embassy seals and stamps, and US DOS Apostille Attestations (most likely all counterfeit)," wrote Allen Ezell, former FBI agent who was also head of FBI’s DipScam diploma-mill task force.
"Axact touts its fake schools as being American, utilising many addresses and telephone numbers in the United States, along with the ‘US Presidential Scholarship’ as bait to attract new students," the letter addressed to the envoy in Washington notes.
"To further this ‘American’ illusion, many of these web sites contain pictures of the US Capitol building, along with the American flag appearing numerous times on these web sites," claimed Ezell in his five-page letter dispatched to the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington.
'Employees never left their desks'
"While Axact was changing its name on the front of their building (cosmetic only), their employees inside never left their desks nor stopped selling fake degrees. Its employees sit in their cubes selling diplomas on both old and new fake schools, along with other scams," it reads.
"The name of their employer was changed on their building ID cards p Axact has increased its online education business to accommodate the millions of students, who because of the pandemic, can no longer attend their traditional brick and mortar schools," claimed the former FBI agent.
In a blog published online with the Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute on 22nd April, the agent says that 5,000 student inquiries per month with about 40% ‘enrollment. Monthly gross revenue is close to $2,000,000 for the IT firm based out of Pakistan.
"As a sales incentive, a $10,000 bonus is being offered when there has been $1,000,000 in sales for a single school. Axact has about 900 employees at their Karachi and Islamabad call centers working mainly on their fake classes scheme," he claimed.
'Did not even get a courtesy call'
"They advertise via pop ups and banners in social media. They lure their victims through ‘spider web’ type sites by field of interest, such aswww.gulfonlineeducation.com, www.onlineengineeringguide.com and www.onlinedegreeprofs.com," he added further in his blog.
When asked to comment on his allegations, the former agent said he had left several messages to Pakistani authorities. "With about five voice mails left at [Pakistan] Embassy and two conversations with his [Ambassador Khan] secretary, I did not get even a courtesy call," he said.
"Since I am retired from the FBI I have no idea how many buyers have submitted the Internet based complaint to the FBI, USPO, USSS, FTC, etc. I am sure some have, but I do not have details. I know of no investigations in this country by anyone except the FBI," he added.
"I can't answer some of your questions without jeopardizing some sources. In the last several weeks I have spoken to an Axact/Crest fake school salesperson about a school, and seen new sample documents so I positively know the game is on," he told The News.
'Never contacted by anyone about Axact'
"I have only hit the high spots in this 20+ year fraud—it is like an iceberg, the likes of which the world has not previously seen. I am in the process of writing additional articles on the Axact criminal enterprise. I want to be accurate in my writings," he wrote in his letter.
Ambassador Khan, while talking to The News, said he was not in knowledge of any such development yet. "I have never been contacted by anyone regarding Axact during my time here as Ambassador. I don’t recall seeing anything from him. Nor any of my colleagues," he said.
Amir Mansoob, consul for Axact, in his response to this retired FBI agent’s letter, strongly rebutted the claim. A similar letter of some FBI official was produced before the FIA investigation team in Pakistan as an evidence, which later courts did not consider as admissible evidence, the firm’s counsel claimed.
“Our firm’s representative challenged that one FBI’s official letter in a local court in US. where it was proved years back that the Axact was not doing an illegal operations anywhere in US. Nothing found wrong or unlawful and there existed no such issue of fake or forged degrees/diplomas operations," the lawyer further argued.
