Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200806/20080616/article_363364.htm
Dozens lured by bogus title scam
Created: 2008-6-16 0:17:43
Author:Li Xinran
A DIPLOMA vender went on trial in Beijing on Thursday for allegedly luring dozens of domestic entrepreneurs and university scholars into paying nearly 3 million yuan (US$435,000) on fake academic certificates, the Legal Daily reported yesterday.
Guan Zhijun, the suspect, was reported to have set up a "China Management Academy Co Ltd" in Hong Kong and sold diplomas in the name of Chinese Academy of Management Sciences.
The Hebei native allegedly launched his scam in 2003 by "inviting" academics from Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering to join the CAMS.
The Haidian District People's Court found Guan sent certificates and cash to more than 60 top Chinese scientists without their agreement and published their names and personal data on his Website as members of the CAMS.
Guan was reported to have sent each of them 2,000 yuan a month as their rewards at the beginning and then 1,000 yuan when he hired more scientists.
Li Junru, vice president of the Chinese Communist Central Party School, and Mao Yushi, a well-respected economist, were on Guan's list of names.
Having "recruited" genuine academics as members, Guan began sending about 3,500 letters to individuals, most of whom were entrepreneurs, celebrities and scholars, offering them fake professional titles.
Buyers paid 34,000 yuan in average for their titles. But one was reported to have paid just 280 yuan, while other victims spent 150,000 yuan.
Executives from state-owned companies, such as China Eastern Airlines and China Metallurgical Group, were among the buyers, according to the report. Fees were covered by public funds, said the report.
Professors and school leaders from Shanghai Business School and Hefei University of Technology, among others, also joined CAMS.
"Even government officials fell into the entrapment," said He Baisong, a prosecutor in Beijing's Haidian District.
Some executives might have their titles bought by their subordinates and they themselves didn't know about it, while others bought the titles because their competitors had one, the prosecutor said.
Guan Zhijun, the suspect, was reported to have set up a "China Management Academy Co Ltd" in Hong Kong and sold diplomas in the name of Chinese Academy of Management Sciences.
The Hebei native allegedly launched his scam in 2003 by "inviting" academics from Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering to join the CAMS.
The Haidian District People's Court found Guan sent certificates and cash to more than 60 top Chinese scientists without their agreement and published their names and personal data on his Website as members of the CAMS.
Guan was reported to have sent each of them 2,000 yuan a month as their rewards at the beginning and then 1,000 yuan when he hired more scientists.
Li Junru, vice president of the Chinese Communist Central Party School, and Mao Yushi, a well-respected economist, were on Guan's list of names.
Having "recruited" genuine academics as members, Guan began sending about 3,500 letters to individuals, most of whom were entrepreneurs, celebrities and scholars, offering them fake professional titles.
Buyers paid 34,000 yuan in average for their titles. But one was reported to have paid just 280 yuan, while other victims spent 150,000 yuan.
Executives from state-owned companies, such as China Eastern Airlines and China Metallurgical Group, were among the buyers, according to the report. Fees were covered by public funds, said the report.
Professors and school leaders from Shanghai Business School and Hefei University of Technology, among others, also joined CAMS.
"Even government officials fell into the entrapment," said He Baisong, a prosecutor in Beijing's Haidian District.
Some executives might have their titles bought by their subordinates and they themselves didn't know about it, while others bought the titles because their competitors had one, the prosecutor said.
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