Getting Advanced DegreesOnline

Feb. 23, 2001 -- A college degree takes most people years of hard work and it can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Good Morning America's consumer correspondent, Greg Hunter, found there is an easier route online, and thousands of Americans are taking it.

While many online schools are legitimate, one expert estimates there are hundreds of fakes operating in cyberspace.

During our investigation, Hunter found there are thousands of people looking for work using degrees from diploma mills on their resumes.

"You have basically a bogus doctorate and a dual doctorate and 3.9 GPA, what did you do for a 3.9 GPA?" Hunter asked one graduate of a "diploma mill."

He is just one of many who got degrees from a diploma mill shut down by the FBI. He's one of the thousands Good Morning America found who are listing fake degrees on their resumes.

"It's an epidemic … it's a worldwide epidemic. It's the fake doctors, it's the fake engineers, it's the fake teachers, it's the fake ministers. They're everywhere," said John Bear, an expert on diploma mills.

'Mail Drop U'

Bear has been writing books about diploma mills for 25 years. He is also an expert witness for the FBI, helping it prosecute fraudulent schools.

One of the biggest diploma mills was Columbia State University. The brochure for the school showed an impressive-looking campus. But the building was really a mansion in New York City. Columbia State was just a mail drop in Metairie, La.

"It was totally fake — send in your $2,000 to $3,000 — negotiable — you get your Ph.D. in the mail within a week — anything you want," said Bear.

From a warehouse in California, thousands of Columbia State diplomas were shipped out. The buyers included people in the highest-level jobs.The FBI found two staffers from the Clinton White House had purchased Columbia State degrees, Hunter learned.

Ronald Pellar was the mastermind behind Columbia State. In 1998, Pellar tried to explain to ABCNEWS' Brian Ross how it's possible to get a Ph.D so quickly.

"It could be done in 25 days, 24 days … how about people who spend two, three, six, seven years … [are they] fools?" asked Ross.

"Absolutely," answered Pellar back in 1998. "I think people deserve degrees without even going to school."

Uh, Doctor?

Pellar is now in prison for running a fake cosmetology school, and Columbia State has been shut down. But Columbia State degrees are still turning up on resumes.

Searching a major online job service, GMA uncovered thousands of resumes from a variety of diploma mills. Our expert found hundreds with Columbia State degrees.

"Dr. Edward Dudley Robey identifies himself as doctor, TV show host administrator," said Bear.

Robey's resume listed four Columbia State degrees — a bachelor's, a master's and two doctorates.

"He's got a doctor of public health and a Ph.D … from Columbia State University," said Bear.

Robey's resume says he's looking for work as a health-care administrator, and that he's a licensed vocational nurse with a cable access show in Los Angeles.

On his show, Robey makes a point of frequently mentioning his doctorate. GMA asked the doctor about his degrees.

"I did all of my work. I passed all my …" said Robey.

Hunter interrupted Robey with the news about Columbia State University: "Doctor, the FBI shut this down," Hunter told him.

Robey responded by saying he'd look into it. When pressed by Hunter about his degrees, Robey defended them. "No, I did not buy a degree," said Robey.

Robey claims he did the required work for his Ph.Ds. GMA asked for for proof and he sent us a 13-page book report outlining the chapters of two books he had read.

Bear says Robey has no right to call himself a doctor. "He may have had some nursing training, but when he puts up the word 'doctor' on his resume — that's about as misleading as you can get," said Bear.

At the Clinton nuclear power station in Dewitt, Ill., GMA found a technician, Chance Anderson, with a bachelor's and a master's degree in electrical engineering from Columbia State University. His resume states he's looking for a job as a troubleshooter.

Anderson said he worked for months to get two degrees and he says he was given credit for six years of nuclear experience in the Navy.Officals at the nuclear power plant said Anderson's job does not require a college degree.

Surprised Students

And at the Firestone tire plant in Decatur, Ill., we found a maintenance supervisor, Michael Kummer, whose resume states he's looking for a job as an electrical engineer. He received a four-year electrical engineering degree in six months from Columbia State University.

Kummer told us he was duped. He says he believed the school was legitimate. They gave him years of college credits for his Navy training and his former employer even paid the tuition.

"You didn't realize this was bogus?" asked Hunter.

"No, not at all, I checked it out as thoroughly as I could because there was a lot of red flags," said Kummer.

In a statement, Bridgestone/Firestone says Kummer's current job "does not require a college education."

Pellar claims he made $75 million from running Columbia State. With an advanced degree, people might get a higher salary, and according to Bear, they probably won't get caught.

"If we could check every resume in the country [we would] find a million fakes — I'd bet anything on that," said Bear.

According to Bear, there are more than 480 bogus schools that offer degrees for little or no work.

There are tens of thousands of people in many walks of life with worthless degrees. It's a problem Bear says the Education Department should investigate.