Feb 02, 2017 07:22 AM EST By Chris Brandt, UniversityHerald Reporter

Recently, the Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD) has closed down a number of websites that have been issuing fake degrees to people. The names of these universities look and sound legitimate from University of Devonshire to University of Stafford.

In a report on BBC, 40 websites that sells diplomas and certificates of UK universities. Some even offer distance learning courses but are in no way certified by the UK Higher Education. According to HEDD, they received reports that there are more than 90 fake universities and educational institutions.

The investigative group said that September was the busiest month last year as they shut down four fake universities and websites. A lot of these universities are piggy-backing on other real universities. For example, HEDD found a fake Surrey University as well as a certain Stafford University as opposed to the real Staffordshire University. Then, there's also the Wolverhamton University with the letter "p" missing.

An investigation conducted by the BBC Radio Kent traced that some of these fake educational websites are operating in China. Their initial findings revealed a website selling a diploma which claimed to be from the University of Kent for £500.

To further investigate the website, the BBC Radio Kent posed as customers and contacted the website. The email reply that came said that they are doing it to replace lost diplomas and help customers find a good job.

HEDD also discovered that fake certificates are even sold on eBay from universities with shady names, such as University of Manchester and Ruskin University.

Meanwhile, Stephen Colbert mentioned in his show that some of these fake university websites are run by a certain group in Pakistan. One of the diplomas they issue comes from the Nixon University.

Jayne Rowley, who runs HEDD, said that they have taken action against these fake websites both abroad and in UK. Julian Brazier, a Conservative MP for Canterbury and Whitstable, is writing the Foreign Office amid the concern of fake certificates.

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