Add to My Gulf News SHARE

Dodgy university was atGetexThe University of Atlanta had a big stall at the UAE’s premiere educationfair

Look who was here: University of Atlanta's stall at Getex

DUBAI Degree mills are coming up with newer ways to lure unsuspectingresidents. Until now they had been advertising on social media by usingpictures of prominent UAE personalities to appear legitimate.

But now they have gone a step further. It has now emerged that the dodgyUniversity of Atlanta managed to put up a stall at Getex (Gulf EducationTraining Exhibition).

The premier annual education fair held at the Dubai World Trade Centre lastmonth had representatives of the nonexistent college handing out brochuresand registering students for their bogus courses.

Read: XPRESS story that broke the Online fake degrees scam(http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/education/onlinefakedegreesxpressinvestigates1.1342936)

Image Credit: Supplied

(http://gulfnews.com/xpress)Published: 17:16 May 27, 2015

By Mazhar Farooqui, Deputy Editor (/writers/mazhar-farooqui)

GulfNews(http://gulfnews.com/)Xpress(http://gulfnews.com/xpress)Courts & Crime(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/courtscrime)

FILED UNDER

TAGS

UNITED STATES (/INFOCUS/COUNTRIES/USA?PAGE=UNITED+STATES)

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (/INFOCUS/COUNTRIES/UAE?PAGE=UNITED+ARAB+EMIRATES)

DUBAI (/INFOCUS/CITY/DUBAI?PAGE=DUBAI)

KARAMA (/INFOCUS/AREAS/KARAMA?PAGE=KARAMA)

INDIA (/INFOCUS/COUNTRIES/INDIA?PAGE=INDIA)

(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/courtscrime/dubaiwomanclubbedtodeathbyjiltedloveratworkplace1.1691575)Jilted lover clubs Dubai woman todeath(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/courtscrime/dubaiwomanclubbedtodeathbyjiltedloveratworkplace1.1691575)

ALSO IN COURTS &

CRIME

FRAMED GALLERY(HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/MULTIMEDIA/FRAMED)

Follow us (http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/rss) (https://www.facebook.com/gulfnewsuae) (http://www.plus.google.com/) (http://www.youtube.com/GulfNewsTV) (http://www.instagram.com/gulfnews)

You have been forked!

VIEWED COMMENTED VIDEOS PICTURES

MOST POPULAR

01

COURTS & CRIME

(HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/XPRESS)March 22, 2016

(http://gulfnews.com/xpress)

0

0

Share

0

(/) NEWS (/XPRESS/NEWS) LIFE & STYLE (/XPRESS/LIFE-STYLE) COURTS & CRIME (/XPRESS/COURTS-CRIME) SPORT (/XPRESS/SPORT)

PICTURES (/XPRESS/PICTURES) GENERAL (/XPRESS/GENERAL) FOLLOW XPRESS ON TWITTER (HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/XPRESS_UAE)

GN NETWORK (/GNMEDIA)

RADIO (HTTP://PLAYER.LISTENLIVE.CO/31361) CLASSIFIEDS (HTTP://WWW.GNCLASSIFIEDS.COM/) APPS (/GNMEDIA/PORTFOLIO/APPS)

SUBSCRIBE (HTTPS://STORE.GULFNEWS.COM/) QUICK LINKS (/GNMEDIA)

MOBILE

SITE (HTTP://M.GULFNEWS.COM/?UTM_SOURCE=GN&UTM_MEDIUM=BUTTONCLICK&UTM_CAMPAIGN=MOBILESITE)

Search Gulf News

SIGN IN (HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/LOGIN-ELEMENT-NEW-7.37927?REFERRER=HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/XPRESS/COURTS-CRIME/DODGY-UNIVERSITY-WAS-AT-GETEX-1.1522937)OR REGISTER NOW (HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/REGISTRATION-

POP-UP-FORM-7.37926?REFERRER=HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/XPRESS/COURTS-CRIME/DODGY-UNIVERSITY-WAS-AT-GETEX-1.1522937)

Add to My Gulf News SHARE

University of Atlanta, originally known as Barrington University, wassuccessfully sued for fraud after a US state investigation revealed that itsphysical campus was a rented post box.

In 2008, Barrington changed its name to University of Atlanta, but in early 2012its accreditor, the DETC, announced that the school had stopped enrolling newstudents and that its accreditation would expire on June 30, 2013.

Consumer forums are flooded with complaints about the university whosewebsite bears an uncanny resemblance to those of other degree millsreportedly run by AXACT. XPRESS investigation revealed further similarities.University of Atlanta is also backed by a software firm which, intriguingly, hasthe same address as the university.

A telephone call made to the university’s US office was answered by a womanwho refused to take questions.

Students who might have visitedUniversity of Atlanta’s stall at Getex andregistered for their distance learningprogrammes might want to also listen towhat Dubai resident Aparna Joshi has tosay about their supposedly much soughtafter degrees. “I got an MBA degree fromUniversity of Atlanta without evenappearing for the exam,” the Indianwoman told XPRESS.

Aparna had enrolled with an educationprovider in Karama for an MBA coursefrom MS University (India) in 2011.

“No classes were held; we were givensome notes and told to study at home. In

May 2012, the education provider told me there was a problem getting a degreefrom MS University. They dilly dallied when I sought a refund. When Ithreatened to report them to the police, they said they will get me an MBA fromthe University of Atlanta. I found it bizarre because that’s not what I hadenrolled for. In August 2012, the Karamabased operator sent me a mail askingme to collect my degree. It was from the USbased University of Atlanta!”

XPRESS has a copy of the correspondence along with payment receipts.

RELATED LINKS

VPs, CEOs with fake degreesin UAE(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/courts-crime/exposed-vps-ceos-with-fake-degrees-in-uae-1.1522897)

Degree mills threatened to ‘fix’journalist(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/courts-crime/degree-mills-threatened-to-fix-journalist-1.1522948)

(HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/XPRESS/COURTS-CRIME)

MORE FROM COURTS & CRIME

Jilted lover clubs Dubai womanto death(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/courts-crime/dubai-woman-clubbed-to-death-by-jilted-lover-at-workplace-1.1691575)

‘My husband married me for mymoney’(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/courts-crime/my-husband-married-me-because-of-my-money-1.1669913)

Salman Khan’s love affair withthe UAE(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/life-style/salman-khan-s-love-affair-with-the-uae-1.1506312)

Mum ‘duped’ in scam faces jail(http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/general/mum-duped-in-trade-scam-faces-jail-1.1405764)

UNITED STATES (/INFOCUS/COUNTRIES/USA?PAGE=UNITED+STATES)

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (/INFOCUS/COUNTRIES/UAE?PAGE=UNITED+ARAB+EMIRATES)

DUBAI (/INFOCUS/CITY/DUBAI?PAGE=DUBAI)

KARAMA (/INFOCUS/AREAS/KARAMA?PAGE=KARAMA)

INDIA (/INFOCUS/COUNTRIES/INDIA?PAGE=INDIA)

TAGS FROM THIS

STORY

In pictures: Mother of the Nation Festival(http://gulfnews.com/multimedia/framed/news/inpicturesmotherofthenationfestival1.1695258)

Pictures: Blasts rockBrussels airport(http://gulfnews.com/multimedia/framed/news/explosionsrockbrusselsairportmetro1.1695236)

(http://gulfnews.com/multimedia/framed/news/inpicturesmotherofthenationfestival1.1695258)

GNTV VIDEOS(HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/MULTIMEDIA/GNTV)

Highlights: The UAE World FirefighterChallenge(http://gulfnews.com/multimedia/gntv/news/theworldfirefighterchallengecomestotheuae1.1692699)

3Dprinted candies inDubai(http://gulfnews.com/multimedia/gntv/news/dubaicandystoredebuts3dprintedsweets1.1682471)

(http://gulfnews.com/multimedia/gntv/news/theworldfirefighterchallengecomestotheuae1.1692699)

Attempted suicides don’t get reported(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/news/attempted-suicides-don-t-get-reported-1.1581566)

Thinking out of the lunch box(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/news/thinking-out-of-the-lunch-box-1.1573582)

Meet the group that sends random lettersof love(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/news/meet-the-group-that-sends-random-letters-of-love-1.1565478)

Fancy a one ton Ramadan cake?(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/news/fancy-a-one-ton-ramadan-cake-1.1547467)

Shawarmas with a twist(http://gulfnews.com/xpress/news/shawarmas-with-a-twist-1.1661419)

02

03

04

05

OUR WRITERS

(/writers/abhisheksengupta)

(/writers/anjanakumar)

Abhishek Sengupta (/writers/abhishek-

ANJANA KUMAR (/writers/anjana-kumar)

CAPITAL:Abu Dhabi

POPULATION:9.446 million (World Bank,2014)

LANGUAGES:Arabic (Official), English,Hindi, Urdu

HEAD OF STATE:President His HighnessShaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed AlNahyan

United Arab Emiratesfocus/countries/uae?page=united+arab+emirates)

COUNTRY IN DEPTH - UAE

Clear

Max - 26 °C

Min - 22 °C

(HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/GUIDES/WEATHER)

UAE: WEATHER TODAY

Dubai

Celcius

18 (http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/general/mum-duped-in-trade-scam-faces-jail-1.1405764#readersComments)

YOUR COMMENT

Please Sign in or create your Gulf News account to post a comment

POST

I acknowledged and accepted gulfnews.com userterms and conditions (http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/terms-conditions-1.1376322)*

MOST POPULAR ON GULF NEWS

(http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/weather/heavyrainandthunderstormsinuae1.1694952)

Heavy rain and thunderstorms in UAE(http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/weather/heavy-rain-and-thunderstorms-in-uae-1.1694952)

(http://gulfnews.com/news/europe/brusselsblastscarriedoutbysuicidebomber21dead1.1695074)

Brussels blasts latest: UAE condemnsattacks(http://gulfnews.com/news/europe/brussels-

(http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/courts/illegalbabysittertopaydh200000afterdeathofgirl21.1694545)

Babysitter to pay blood money for girl's death(http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/courts/illegal-babysitter-to-pay-dh200-000-after-death-of-

(http://gulfnews.com/business/sectors/technology/applelaunchessmallercheaperiphone1.1694927)

Apple launches smaller, cheaper iPhone(http://gulfnews.com/business/sectors/technology/apple-launches-smaller-cheaper-iphone-1.1694927)

(http://gulfnews.com/business/sectors/employment/wheretofindjobsinuaetoday1.1694957)

Where to find jobs in UAE today(http://gulfnews.com/business/sectors/employment/where-to-find-jobs-in-uae-today-1.1694957)

(http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/residentsofdubaisinternationalcitybuildingfaceactroubleagain1.1694477)

'My family is suffering': Residents have no AC(http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/residents-of-dubai-s-international-city-building-face-ac-

(http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/emergencies/flydubaicrashmotherofindianvictimhospitalised1.1694765)

Indian crash victim's mother hospitalised(http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/emergencies/flydubai-crash-mother-of-indian-victim-hospitalised-

(http://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/emiratesflightdivertedbybrusselsblastsetihadandqatarairwaysplanesatairport1.1695124)

Emirates flight diverted by Brussels blasts(http://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/emirates-flight-diverted-by-brussels-blasts-etihad-and-

(http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/kuwait/videogirlsfilmedstealingfromcarsinkuwait1.1694987)

Video: Girls filmed stealing from cars(http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/kuwait/video-girls-filmed-stealing-from-cars-in-kuwait-

(HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/GNMEDIA/CONTACT-US)FEEDBACK

(HTTP://STORE.GULFNEWS.COM/SUBSCRIPTIONS/12-MONTHS-

SUBSCRIPTION-OF-GULF-

NEWS-PRINT-

EDITION.HTML)

GET THE PAPER(HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/GNMEDIA/PORTFOLIO/APPS)OUR APPS

(JAVASCRIPT:VOID(0);)MOBILE FRIENDLY

VERSION

(HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/GNMEDIA/HOW-TO-FIND-

GULF-NEWS)

OUR LOCATION(/SEARCH?

ACTION=SEARCH&SUBMITTED=TRUE&SORT=PUBLISHEDDATE_DESCENDING&FREETEXT=)ADVANCED SEARCH(HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/GNMEDIA/SMAP)

SITEMAP

MY GULF NEWS

GulfNews.com is the most widely read newspaper, andonline site in English in the Middle East. With a dailyBPA audited paid circulation of over 108,000, and anonline audience of 3.5 million uniques every month, itis your go to source for information on the region. Signup below to begin personalising your experience

REGISTER NOW(HTTP://GULFNEWS.COM/REGISTRATION-POP-UP-FORM-7.37926)

News(http://gulfnews.com/news)

Business(http://gulfnews.com/business)

Sport(http://gulfnews.com/sport)

Leisure(http://gulfnews.com/leisure)

Guides(http://gulfnews.com/guides)

Opinion(http://gulfnews.com/opinion)

Multimedia(http://gulfnews.com/multimedia)

In Focus(http://gulfnews.com/in-focus)

Life&Style(http://gulfnews.com/life-style)

Culture(http://gulfnews.com/culture)

Your Say(http://gulfnews.com/your-say)

FOLLOW US

SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTER

SIGN UP

Search Gulf News

(http://gulfnews.com/tabloid) (http://gulfnews.com/xpress/dubai) (http://gulfnews.com/weekendreview)

(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia) (http://wheels.ae/) (http://gncars.com) (http://www.gncareers.com/)

(http://www.radio2uae.com/) (http://hayatfm.ae/) (http://joshfm.ae/) (http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia)

© Al Nisr Publishing LLC2016. All rights reserved

How To Find Gulf News(Http://Gulfnews.Com/Gnmedia/How-To-Find-Gulf-News)

Contact Us(Http://Gulfnews.Com/Gnmedia/Contact-Us)

Print Subscriptions(Http://Store.Gulfnews.Com/)

MGN(Http://Gulfnews.Com/Mgn)

GN Media(Http://Gulfnews.Com/Gnmedia)

How to follow GulfNews(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/howtofollowus)

History of GulfNews(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/historyofgulfnews1.1373826)

Key Dates(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/keydates1.1375898)

Community(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/community1.1383705)

Advertise(Http://Gulfnews.Com/Gnmedia/Advertise)

Print(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/advertise/print)

Direct Marketing(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/advertise/directmarketing)

Journalism ethics(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/aboutgulfnews/journalismethics1.1379687)

Ethics Policy(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/ethicspolicy1.1377836)

Privacy Policy(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/privacypolicy1.1376093)

Terms & Conditions(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/termsconditions1.1376322)

Readers' Policy(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/readerspolicy1.1377855)

FAQs(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/faqs1.1376095)

Open Calais(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/opencalais1.1407435)

Careers at Gulf News(http://gulfnews.com/gnmedia/careers)

About Gulf News(Http://Gulfnews.Com/Gnmedia/About-Gulf-News)

New GulfNews.Com: AConsiderable StepForward In Terms Of UserExperience(Http://Gulfnews.Com/Multimedia/Infographics/New-Gulfnews-Com-A-Considerable-Step-Forward-In-Terms-Of-User-Experience-1.1449934)