Fake Russian Music Degrees

Status: Fraud
Korean investigators have uncovered a case of widespread degree fraud involving over 120 people who bought fake Russian music degrees from a woman "identified as Do":

Do advertised her institute as a Korean campus of the Russian university and the Russian college dean came here along with a couple of other Russian professors for about 10 days a year to provide lessons,'' said a prosecutor... Prosecutors said that the fake degree holders registered their degrees at the Korea Research Foundation (KRF) and some of them worked as lecturers at local universities, trying to create an academic clique.

This strikes me as odd as I would never have picked music as a field conducive to degree fraud, since other musicians would notice pretty quickly if you don't know what you're doing. Also, the idea that these fake degree holders were all colluding to create an academic clique is a bit bizarre. They must have figured there was strength in numbers.

The case also reminded me of the fake Moscow Philharmonic that was caught touring in Hong Kong back in 2000.

Con Artists

Posted on Sun Mar 19, 2006


Comments

Do... a deer? A female deer?
Posted by AqueousBoy  on  Mon Mar 20, 2006  at  08:18 AM
haha, Jane Do[e]
Posted by Mera  on  Mon Mar 20, 2006  at  05:52 PM
What?! I got a masters in Britney Spears and a doctorate in Christina Aguilera from there! I was robbed!
Posted by David B.  on  Tue Mar 21, 2006  at  10:25 AM
"I would never have picked music as a field conducive to degree fraud, since other musicians would notice pretty quickly if you don't know what you're doing" -- Alex, what would you choose then? What's the field where other specialists can't tell when you have no clue on what you're doing?
Posted by Gutza  on  Wed Mar 22, 2006  at  02:37 PM
I wouldn't think music is a field conducive to degree fraud, because a degree in Music has a pretty low market value compared to many other degrees.

But if anything has any cash value at all, I guess, somebody somewhere will try to counterfeit it.
Posted by Big Gary in Turkey, Texas  on  Wed Mar 22, 2006  at  04:22 PM
Big Gary, au contraire, I would definitely go for something low profile. I mean, getting a fake medical/engineering/architectural/whatever-hard-to-get degree will get you more money, but (a) you'll get caught pretty darn quickly and (b) you face way more drastic consequences.

Actually, I think the whole thing makes sense as far as the fraudsters go. They were just dumb enough to get caught, but apart from that, I think they were pretty smart. 😊
Posted by Gutza  on  Thu Mar 23, 2006  at  02:03 AM
Oh these russians are realy crazy. It is posible to buy everything for money!!! How can this be! You can buy scientific degree so easily??? I wount be suprised if you can buy a documents that you are a special agent there!!! Never going to go to russia!
Posted by Fairy Queen  on  Sun Jun 08, 2008  at  06:02 AM
Sounds like some kinda degree mafia..
Posted by Carla Delponte  on  Mon Aug 04, 2008  at  04:37 AM
Real musicians would never consider getting a fake degree, I suppose if you were clever enough you might be able to get away with it and fool people since music isn
Posted by fake degree  on  Mon Sep 15, 2008  at  05:54 AM
"Real musicians would never consider getting a fake degree"

+1
Posted by Curtis  on  Mon Sep 22, 2008  at  01:10 AM
Well at least they can't actually harm anyone with these fake degrees. How about those unfiversities that were issuing fake PA degrees.
That's insane...
Posted by Jewish Music  on  Sun May 16, 2010  at  07:02 AM
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