General Educational Development (or GED) degree is the equivalent of a high school diploma. It certifies that the taker has the academic skills of an American or Canadian high school level and is usually taken by individuals who have not been able to complete their high school education for various reasons. Obtaining a GED diploma is needed for acceptance into a college or university, for employment and/or promotional requirements and for enlistment in the military or armed forces. As such, many individuals across America strive to take the GED as a means to advance themselves in the future.

As this need for more GED diplomas arises, GED administrators across America are also receiving more and more complaints from students who have invested anywhere from $200 to $800 on tuition, testing, and diploma fees. These complaints are targeted against so-called diploma mills that are perpetuating the service and the notion that obtaining a legal diploma can be done through the Internet. One can notice the endless websites offering a faster, affordable and more convenient way of getting a diploma via an online high school. Pay online for the fees, wait 24 hours and your diploma will be processed and sent to you via post. Anyone who is not familiar with the educational requirements for a GED diploma can be deceived by these online services.

As these occurrences increase, a program of the American Council on Education issued a warning to individuals who might be prey to these diploma mills saying that credentials cannot be earned over the Internet. There are official GED testing sites all over America and any individual who applies for this has to physically take the test in any one of these official centers.

What many people do not know is that there are many consequences to obtaining a fake GED diploma. What may seem as an investment of just $200 over the course of 24 hours may spell the difference between a very dim and a very bright future.

Because the school or program is not accredited, the diploma is deemed worthless, making acceptance to a college or university, a near impossibility. Employment and job promotion opportunities may also be in jeopardy.

In answer to this sweeping problem, employers are now on the lookout for fake diplomas, following a “Facts for Business” guide on how to identify these illegitimate degrees. Skeptical employers are now doing its legwork in background checks on how diplomas are obtained by aspiring applicants. Even the Federal Government is now on the lookout for fraudulent degrees doing a sweep on their present employees.

Other than not being accepted to the college or university or company you are gunning for, the biggest sanction against a person who purchases a program with a fake GED diploma is possible arrest upon presentation of the diploma.

There are many cases of people who have been caught with an illegitimate diploma, from getting a cover story on CBS News story, to losing an opportunity for a higher earning job, to a possible military court martial. At the end of the day, the very thing that you would want to invest in is the legitimacy of your diploma if you know that this is your key to advancement.