This 'university' allegedly sold MBA to a cat
YOU know that something is not quite right with an online
'university' that awards an MBA to a cat.
With help from software giant Microsoft, US officials have tracked
down two brothers in Texas who allegedly sold bogus college degrees
over the Internet.
The brothers, Craig Barton Poe, 35, and his brother, Alton Scott,
40, were named in a lawsuit as operators of Trinity Southern
University.
The lawsuit alleged that the operation is not a real Texas
university, as portrayed on the Net. The brothers allegedly lied
about it being accredited and sent out thousands of bogus e-mail
messages to solicit customers, it added.
The Poes have been charged with breaking laws against consumer
fraud and spamming.
The lawsuit alleged that 18,000 e-mail messages were sent by the
Poes that appeared to come from legitimate outfits such as cable
operator Comcast, Pennsylvania State University and the
Pennsylvania Senate.
The content of the e-mails was not related to Trinity Southern but
contained warnings that the customer needed to open a link to keep
his Internet service running.
The link automatically connected people to the Trinity Southern
website.
Ms Barbara Petito, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania attorney
general's office, said the state sued after plunking down US$398
($657) to get an MBA for a cat named Colby, including a transcript
saying he earned a 3.5 grade point average.
When angry customers who use Microsoft as their Internet service
provider complained about the e-mails, the software giant began its
own investigation and allegedly traced a phony name used in some of
the messages to Craig Poe.
FAKE DEGREES
Texas education officials had spent several months trying to
identify the Poes after some employers complained that job
applicants had claimed to hold degrees from Trinity Southern that
turned out to be bogus.
The case is expected to be referred to the state attorney-general
next week.
Trinity Southern had claimed to be accredited by a university in
Argentina and an education association, both of which turned out to
be fictitious, officials said.
The operation violated Texas law by allegedly offering degrees from
a school that was not accredited and using the term 'university' in
its name, said Mr David Linkletter, who tracks school certification
for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Mr Linkletter looked at Trinity Southern's website and e-mail
messages and tried to track the operation through phone numbers,
which changed frequently.
'Now we have what we need - the names of the players,' he
said.
Last year, the director of the Massachusetts infectious-disease
laboratory admitted he bought a doctorate from the school. He
continues to direct the lab, however. - AP.