The Toronto Strar's Forged Degree Investigation

$1,000 buys two copies of sealed transcripts, $3,000 gets a university degree

 

The Toronto Star reports that it recently investigated 26-year-old York University graduate Peng Sun, who they say is in the business of selling forged university degrees and transcripts. As the story notes, the fake-degree market is believed to be a billion-dollar industry “with hundreds of Internet sites pumping out an estimated 200,000 fake diplomas a year around the globe”.

 

A transcript of two conversations between Peng Sun and the Star’s undercover operative is posted on the paper’s website. Sun admits that he sells “3 (degrees) per week, a good week, I get 4”. His price list is below. These items are apparently available in “different combos, with gift packages”.
 

• $3,000 - most university degrees (York, University of Toronto, etc.)

• $6,000 - University of Toronto-post 2006 (with anti-counterfeit hologram)

• $1,750 - Student photo ID card

• $1,000 - Two copies of sealed transcripts, on watermarked paper

• $900 - Graduation letter from Canadian university

• $800 - Enrolment notice

• $600 - Proof of tuition payments

• $500 - Admission letter from university