Are You Aware Of Online Educational Scams? | Help By Education 2.0 Conference

A massive shift in education from classroom-based to remote learning has helped the education and learning sector cope with the pandemic. But with time, this shift is becoming a matter of concern for the top education conferences like the Education 2.0 Conference due to the growing cases of online education scams in the industry. 

Yes! Many scammers are trying to create an educational trap for the students to trick them into spending money for degrees they won’t ever receive. Let’s explore tricks scammers use to lure students into enrolling in their institutions or courses. 

Most Common Online Education Scams

• False Qualifications

Many scammers trick students or institutions into false qualification certifications or affiliations. They show compelling evidence offered by adopting their certificates. But, when the student or organization finally enrolls for them, they get nothing but a scam. The scammers fail to provide the degrees or affiliations per their promises. 

• Bogue Placement Promises

One of the most talked about scams discussed at education conferences in the USA was the bogue placement promises. As students are always enthusiastic about getting a job after their education, scammers use this desire and try to manipulate the students. 

Some scammers try to enroll the students in a costly course by alluring them with high-paid opportunities after completion. The system is not the problem, but false promises are because nothing comes true for the students. Then the students struggle with living as they have to spend their savings on such worthless courses. 

• Poor Course Quality

Sometimes the online courses promote themselves so that the students feel it tempting and available to enroll in them at affordable prices. But again, only after attending the course do they realize its futility. The same can happen with over-priced systems, which due to captivating advertisements, get the enrollments but again fail to fulfill the expectations of the students. 

These training institutions are not looking to create an informative platform but look for one-time payment opportunities. Because the ones who want to build their learning platform would never do this to the students or the learners as they want them to stay in touch for a longer time. 

• Fake Colleges And Courses

Scammers understand the importance of colleges and universities for learners. Online learning makes it easy for them to trick people into enrolling in fake colleges. Not most people check for the information regarding the colleges offered to them significantly if the institution adds some sort of scholarship or fee waivers. 

Also, the word ‘college’ is unprotected, so anyone can use it even if, in reality, it doesn’t exist. In this fake college and university scam, the scammers first set up fake institutes and contact people to enroll in them, and once they register, the promised courses are not offered. 

• Conference Scams

Many unregistered or unauthorized conferences try to approach people and bluff them into attending their conferences. When people arrive at their meetings, they don’t find many people and experience irrelevant content, wasting time, money, and energy.

Many of the official and registered education events in Vegas highlighted how people are cautious when they receive an invite from an educational event. As of now, many invite students to present their research papers for a sum of money, and they are most likely run by fraudsters. That is why, make sure that you do your research before attending one. 

• Cloak And Dagger Sales Platforms

This is another online scam that uses the learners’ curiosity to trick them into buying the courses, which is nothing but a selling platform. Scammers use appealing advertisements to attract the students’ attention to enroll in highly informative courses. 

Once the students enroll, they get ads promoting products and services instead of teaching them anything. And even if they provide some knowledge, they will ask the users first to buy the offered products to get their next session. These learning platforms are basically selling platforms that want people to buy things from them instead of delivering them with the knowledge they were looking for in the first place.

Keeping all these growing educational scams in mind, let’s explore the quick tips shared by educators and learning institutions at the education conference in the USA, Education 2.0 Conference. 

Quick Tips To Identify Online Education Scams

• Do Your Research

Whenever you plan to enroll in an online course, know everything about it. Visit the official website, check the URLs, accreditations, faculty members, reviews, and addresses, and try to contact someone who has already studied in that institution. It’s easy to find people in this digital world with numerous networking platforms. 

• Don’t Fall For Shortcuts

If any institution offers a quick degree, no entrance examinations, pay and proceed type of educational structure, try to know the why behind such offerings instead of quickly enrolling into one. Usually, scammers try to get money from the people, and these lucrative offers work better to gain enrollment. 

• Think Twice Before Paying

As scammers are interested in your money, they will advertise in such a way that they will create urgency to enroll now or never and will change the deadlines as per their choice. Again, it is a red flag when the institution asks you to pay as early as possible to avail of any added benefit or get instant scholarships. Always enroll after researching thoroughly about the institution and the course offered by them. 

• Confirm From Educational Authorities

Sometimes, even after confirmation from various sources you don’t feel satisfied with the institution, you can always ask the educational authorities. In the education event of Vegas, Education 2.0 Conference, educators shared that students or learners can always contact CHEA or the US education department to confirm the accreditation of any online or distance learning institution as it is responsible for the online learning certifications.  

Final Thoughts

Although spending your resources on learning and educating yourself is good, staying alert is essential before someone takes advantage of your desires. Constantly research well before investing in something, whether it’s a course, university, or distance program.