Pakistan raids 'fake degree factory'

Pakistani investigators yesterday carried out raids on a firm accused of running a global fake degree empire, officials said, confiscating computers and holding employees for questioning.

The firm Axact was accused by the New York Times of running a network of hundreds of websites for phony universities complete with paid actors for promotional videos, as part of an elaborate scheme that generated tens of millions of dollars annually.

The NYT article cited clients from the US, Britain and UAE who had paid huge sums  for their degrees -- with some believing the universities were real and they would soon receive coursework.