On November 5, 2009, a class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court in Detroit alleging that Belford High School is an internet scam that defrauds students of their money. The lawsuit alleges that Belford High School takes students’ money by offering them a “valid” and “accredited” high school diploma, but that Belford High School is not accredited and that the “diplomas” are not valid. The lawsuit alleges that the two accrediting agencies by which Belford High School claims to be accredited – the International Accreditation Agency For Online Universities (IAAOU) and the Universal Council For Online Education Accreditation (UCOEA) – are not legitimate accrediting agencies. The lawsuit alleges that IAAOU and UCOEA are not recognized by the United States Department of Education and that they are sham organizations set up solely to make Belford High School look like a legitimate school when, in fact, the school actually has no authority to issue valid high school diplomas.

If you have a concern about experiences with Belford, click here to share these concerns.

A copy of the lawsuit, which alleges claims for fraud, breach of contract, and violations of a federal lawsuit, the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization Act (known as RICO), can be found by clicking here. In the lawsuit, students are asking the federal district court to order Belford High School, IAAOU and UCOEA, along with Education Services Provider, Inc. to pay them damages. The filing asks the Court to award treble (three times) damages for the violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and requests that the Court order the websites www.belfordhighschool.com,  and www.belforduniversity.org to be shut down. The lawsuit was filed by The Googasian Firm, P.C.

In a recent Order, a federal judge ruled that The Googasian Firm could provide information about the lawsuit to the operators of Belford High School via the "live chat" feature on the Defendants' websites and other means.  A copy of the Oder can be found here.

The Googasian Firm, P.C. is a law firm that aims to help those who are victims of unfair, deceptive and abusive practices committed by for-profit schools. If you have concerns about a "high school," trade school, career school, or other "college" or "university," click here to share these concerns with the law firm.

For-profit schools offering education to adults with high school diplomas and GEDs are big business in the United States. With direct mail campaigns and through newspaper, television and Internet ads, these schools, institutes and so-called "colleges" frequently attempt to lure adults into expensive programs of study with false promises of future employment in high-paying jobs or easy-to-obtain high school "diplomas" or college "degrees." The owners of these schools often make huge profits through tuition payments, usually paid with federal and state grants and loans obtained by the students. If you are an employee or student at a school that appears to be deceiving people, click here to share your concerns with The Googasian Firm, P.C.

Unsuspecting adults trying to get ahead in the world often find themselves being misled by these schools’ "admissions representatives" or "enrollment counselors." These communications occur in phone calls, meetings, and online chats. These employees of these for-profits schools actually are salespeople who often have to meet enrollment targets to stay employed. Their job is to convert "leads" (adults possibly interested in further education) into "starts" (adults who enroll and pay the school, often through federal student aid.) If you have concerns about the actions of a school’s enrollment representatives, click here to share your concerns.

For-profit schools and their salespeople often misrepresent the facts about their school, the quality of the education to be provided, the credential to be earned upon graduation, and the job prospects and salaries that can be attained thereafter. Thousands of adults each year enrolling in programs at for-profit schools end up disappointed and misled, often having huge student loan debts and little or nothing to show for it. Still others end up unknowingly earning fraudulent "diplomas" or "degrees" from schools with no authority to issue them. If you have concerns about a particular school and what you have been told about it by its representatives, click here.

Online "high schools" also have recently been surfacing on the Internet and victimizing people looking to obtain a high school diploma. With promises of worldwide recognition, legitimacy and accreditation, these sites lure in unsuspecting individuals who are simply looking to qualify themselves for the next level of employment or education. Many of their online schools are nothing more than a complete and utter scam, with so-called diplomas being issued by "schools" without any licensing authority from a local, state or federal government. To share your concerns about an online "high school" about which you are familiar, click here.

The Googasian Firm, P.C. investigates and pursues claims against for-profit schools that have misrepresented themselves to students. State and federal laws prohibit unfair and deceptive practices and the issuance of false academic credentials. Some laws also reward whistleblowers who report fraud committed against the government. If you have questions for or want more information about The Googasian Firm, P.C., please call 1-877-540-8333, send an e-mail to degreefraud@googasian.com, visit the firm’s website, www.googasian.com, or complete this online form