Cops building case against bogus degree mill operator

PETALING JAYA: Selangor police are continuing to build their case against an academic institution believed to have sold bogus degrees to hundreds of people.

State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah said statements from 48 people had been taken so far in connection with the case.

The state Commercial Crimes Investigation Department is investigating the case as fraud, he added.

“We are still trying to get in touch with a number of people who bought the degrees,” he told The Star. “Some of these people have listed down fake names and contact numbers to avoid detection.”

It was reported that the director of the institution and his female accomplice, who are 37 and 36 respectively, were arrested and subsequently released on bail after police raided two premises in Cheras and Subang Jaya.

The syndicate is believed to have raked in RM5mil by selling fake scrolls over the past nine years.

The institution is said to have sold Bachelor’s degrees for RM6,500, Master’s degrees for RM8,500 and PhD scrolls for RM10,500.

A total of 525 people, including VIPs, are believed to have received “degrees” without attending lectures, sitting for examinations or submitting papers.

Early last month, several people were also arrested over the sale of fake Universiti Sains Malaysia degrees.

The suspects had been offering the fake degrees via a Facebook account which had over 516 likes. It was reported that 20 people had paid RM4,888 each to the syndicate for the certificates.