Toronto Star’s forged degree investigation

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