“Vindicated,” that's how Declan Walsh of The New York Times described my reaction to Axact's current predicament in his report, “Pakistan widens inquiry into fake diplomas.” The Pakistani company that bills itself as the “World's Leading IT Company,” is facing increasing scrutiny from government investigators over Walsh's allegations that it has “made millions selling fake degrees through a sprawling empire of school websites.” Walsh uncovered the extent of the fraud, but back on October 6, 2009, while working for Arab News, I authored a story, “Degree fraud attracts global players.” In that report, I revealed Axact's connection to Rochville University, a diploma mill that was selling fake degrees in the United States. The article focused on the awarding of a Master's degree in Business Administration to a pug named Chester Ludlow. In 2009, internet search and social media weren't what they are now. By email, the dog's owner had provided me with a scan of the DHL shipping label showing that the fake degree had been sent from Dubai. I started making phone calls. It took three days to find someone in DHL in Dubai who would give me the information needed to track the fake degree back to its origin. The document did not originate from Dubai but had been transferred to DHL by a freight forwarder, “First Flight.” The freight forwarder had received the package containing the fake degree at their office in Karachi. The shipping fee had been paid in cash. The sender was Axact Private Limited. The report identifying Axact as the source of the fake degree was published on October 6, 2009 in print and online. On October 7, 2009, I received an email from Abdul Karim Khan & Company with a subject line “Cease and Desist.” The email was sent from [email protected], copied to [email protected]. Abdul Karim Khan & Company, claimed to be “Advocates, Attorneys and Legal Consultants,” located at Suite No. 1108, 11th Floor, Kashif Centre, Sharah-e-Faisal, Karachi. The email stated that the lawyers represented Axact (Pvt.) Ltd and they were putting forward a Cease and Desist Letter authored by Fahim ul Karim. The letter demanded that the article published on October 6 be removed from arabnews.com or prosecution would proceed. Arab News was also included and threatened in the Cease and Desist Letter. Immediately, I was asked by senior Arab News staff to provide evidence for all allegations in my report. I turned over my notes and the taped interview with Vicky Phillips, the founder of GetEducated.com, whose dog had been awarded the degree. I provided telephone numbers for the shippers in Dubai and images of the shipping label. Within a week of the first email, the legal documents arrived from Pakistan to Jeddah by courier. Once the article had been up on the website for two weeks, senior management at the newspaper made the decision to take the report down to stop any lawsuit. However, no apology was issued and my report was never retracted. I continued to dig for information about Axact's illegal activities. I found that Axact, serving as the defendant, had lost a legal dispute in the UK involving its fraudulent registration of two .co.uk domain names: essayrelief.co.uk and originalthesiswriting.co.uk. By email, I sent all the information I had uncovered to a government official in Pakistan. He did nothing. Meanwhile, fraudulent educational credentials continued to be sold, causing damage to employers who were unknowingly hiring unqualified staff. It might be thought that Axact is the only Pakistani company involved in questionable activities targeting people desperate for better jobs. Unfortunately, that is not true. Mirza Asrar Baig, CEO, IT Matrix, who has assisted me in other cybercrime investigations, stated that supposed “HR recruitment agencies” have set up in Pakistan, reaching out globally through the internet. “These HR recruiters use social media, including LinkedIn.com, to promise people jobs that do not exist,” Baig advised. “We have seen that these companies are registered in Pakistan and their email addresses belong to internet domains registered to Pakistani addresses. Their goal is to get people to pay recruitment fees for jobs that never materialize. While similar scams are running out of other nations, it is incumbent on the Pakistani authorities to close down the illegal activity within their borders.” What was done by Axact with the millions made from its fraudulent degree business can only be speculated upon at this time. However, with money laundering and terrorism financing on the rise, the use of those funds must be thoroughly investigated. Reports state that Interpol and the FBI have been asked for assistance in scrutinizing Axact's activities and accounts. That may keep the criminal activity from being hidden and ignored. My thanks go out to all those who have helped to publicize Axact's alleged malfeasance. Keep up the good work.
