Axact is Back in Business, Claims Former FBI Agent - Android

A former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent has claimed that Axact has resorted to its business of selling fake… Read More

The post Axact is Back in Business, Claims Former FBI Agent appeared first on .

A former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent has claimed that Axact has resorted to its business of selling fake degrees and diploma certificates in the United States.

Allen Ezzel, who previously headed the FBI’s DipScam diploma-mill task force, wrote a formal letter to the Embassy of Pakistan in the United States. In his letter, Allen has shared insights on the case, Axact has resumed its business five years after facing a similar case in Pakistan.

“Axact is in business today, doing what they have for the past 16 years. Degree sales range from $199 to over . . . for single victims. Axact’s main target for their degree and transcript sales, followed by the reported up-sell (blackmail and extortion) continues to be the Middle East (56+%), followed by the United States (29%). I believe 100,000+ diplomas and transcripts have been sold in the United States alone via the Axact call centers in Pakistan.”

ALSO READ

Cybercrime Goes Down by 50% After PM Imran’s Instructions to FIA

Ezzel has shared some insights in his letter, mentioning that local sales were over 83+ in the District of Columbia, 2,632+ in the State of Maryland, and 1,723+ in the State of Virginia. He suspected the company even has access to notary attestations, Embassy seals and stamps, and U.S. DOS Apostille Attestations (most likely all counterfeit).

According to Allen, Axact introduces its fake schools as being American by showing several fake addresses and phone numbers from the States. It uses the ‘U.S. Presidential Scholarship’ as bait to attract new victims.

To further this ‘American’ illusion, many of these web sites contain pictures of the U.S. Capitol building, along with the American flag appearing numerous times on these web sites.

Allen said that, due to this illusion, thousands of students fall prey to their scam, unknowingly providing them the business of multi-million dollars.

5,000 student inquiries per month with about 40% ‘enrollment. Monthly gross revenue is close to $2,000,000. As a sales incentive, a $10,000 bonus is being offered when there has been $1,000,000 in sales for a single school. Axact has about 900 employees at their Karachi and Islamabad call centers working mainly on their fake classes scheme. They advertise via pop-ups and banners in social media including Facebook. They lure their victims through ‘spider web’ type sites by type of profession, or field of interest, such as aswww.gulfonlineeducation.com, www.onlineengineeringguide.com, and www.onlinedegreeprofs.com.

When approached, Ezzel said he has sent a couple of letters to Pak Mission in the US in December last year and then again in February 2020 before posting the information as a blog on an educational website.

With about five voice mails left at [Pakistan] Embassy and two conversations with his [Ambassador Khan] secretary, I did not get even a courtesy call, nor even a form letter. So much for justice and the rule of law.

He said that he was unsure about the current number of complaints submitted to the FBI, USPO, USSS, FTC, etc. He refused to speak about the source of his information, but confirmed that he has seen new sample documents “so I positively know the game is on,” he told this correspondent.

I have only hit the high spots in this 20+ year fraud—it is like an iceberg, the likes of which the world has not previously seen. I am in the process of writing additional articles on the Axact criminal enterprise. I want to be accurate in my writings, thus desire to know the official position of Pakistan on Axact and its activities.

However, Pakistan Ambassador Dr. Asad Majeed Khan denied receiving any such information as yet. Khan said he has never been contacted regarding the Axact scandal during his time as Ambassador.

Amin Mansoob, Axact’s legal counsel and advisor, has strongly rejected Allen’s claims. He said that a similar letter was presented as evidence before the high court in Pakistan five years ago, which the court did not consider as admissible evidence, he claimed.

The post Axact is Back in Business, Claims Former FBI Agent appeared first on .