IACOOS – A Very Serious Fraud – Mustard Seed Training

July 27, 2009

IACOOS – A Very Serious Fraud

Adison High School is NOT a legitimate, accredited school! They are spending good money on Google AdWords to drive well meaning adults to their site, taking $299, and they have NO ABILITY TO GRANT A LEGITIMATE DIPLOMA! Hint-at-a-glance #1: the signature and license # on the certificate on their website is blurred so that it can’t be properly verified. So I decided to check out their accreditors to see if they were really listed.

Their “accreditation” is listed under the International Accreditation Committee of Online Schools. Let’s find out more about the IACOOS. Check out their “Standards and Process,” particularly the heading Student Progress:

The institution must inform their students to uphold punctuality and apprise them of their progress throughout the completion of the program. The appraisals must be given on a regular basis.

Wow. Punctuality? In an online course?! And that is their one and only requirement of student progress for their member agencies. Who are these people and why haven’t they been arrested yet?

So I filled out their online form to send an email to ask how they could possibly sleep at night, being complete frauds. But when you try to click Submit nothing happens. They have some clever web designers coupled with a few nice logos, and they are all set up to take people’s money for nothing.

The closer I look, the more I find that is completely awful. Adison offers a 24/7 education verification service. Their webpage uses the copyright symbol with no year. They even offer an online High School Equivalency test with 4 sections full of–and I quote–“simple and easy multiple choice questions.” Sounds like a dream come true, right?! Forget the sirens, this is a sweet song that is bound to hypnotise too many already poor people as they open their wallets…

Adult Education

adison, diploma, ged, high school

Posted by:

Meagen Farrell

Author. Trainer. Woodworker.

8 responses to “IACOOS – A Very Serious Fraud”

Alondra

November 11, 2009 at 1:30 pm

I went to that site, thought It was legit so I took the test because I thought it was a free pre-test sorta of a thing.
Note: While I was taking this “test” it clearly stated that I could check my answers and re-do it. So I did check my answers(I thought it was somekind of a joke) Also the “test” is badly written.

After several minutes, some middle eastern or maybe african american called me saying I passed, he also asked for the name of the person who was gonna pay for my tuition. By that that I felt fishy so I told him I wanted to cancel any requests. He said that If I do I can’t graduate anymore because I was “messing with the system” so he hung up.
I dialed again and asked why I cant graduate anymore, and I think the same guy answered and said nothing helpful. I was very pissed so I sounded like I was gonna cry, the guy I think felt pitty so he said he was gonna cancel my request, and said to be careful again, then hung up.

Is there anyone with the same situation?

Because I really want to report this fraud but I need a confirmation that it was an attempt fraud.

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Renee

March 24, 2010 at 8:35 pm

Thank you soo much for this information i had been heavily looking into this program for i am 17 pregnant and have no other options for my high school diploma, i would much rather get a high school diplooma online than have to get a GED, if either of you know a legit online diploma service let me know, I WANT A DIPLOMA, NOT A GED. Thank you once again for warning me and others of this fraud

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Nancy

July 23, 2010 at 5:54 pm

I feel bad for all the folks that have been taken by this company. I don’t understand why the idea of having a GED is so awful to many that they get caught in the trap of diploma mills. GEDs are acceptable by colleges (obviously) you’re not getting a GED to get into Harvard or Princeton, but get your GED and after some community or trade school credits you can transfer to a university. MOST credible colleges AND jobs don’t accept online HS diplomas!!! Secondly, a huge red flag is that if you’re paying for a test with no course of study or academics involved you’re simply dealing with a diploma mill. If it sounds too good to be true it simply IS! No one should fall for these traps. Let me add that I have my GED; I was a Gifted & Talented student that had an unfortunate situation and wanted to rush out of school to start working! Well, I’ve worked at large Corporations and have never been looked down upon, aside from the HR folks who saw my resume ALL of my colleagues assumed I was a college grad…I am now a PT student with an online school (UOP) and I’m glad I took my GED. If you absolutely MUST get a HS diploma use a school that is accredited by CHEA and Dept of Ed: http://www.chea.org/pdf/CHEA_USDE_AllAccred.pdf. Also, check with the BBB…http://www.la.bbb.org/businessreport.aspx?companyid=100043213. Hope this helps!!!

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Carpet Tiles

December 2, 2010 at 7:07 pm

although online schools are good, i think we also need human interaction which we can only get from offline schools `*-

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2010 in review « Farrell Ink

January 3, 2011 at 1:19 am

[…] IACOOS – A Very Serious Fraud July 2009 4 comments 4 […]

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Tabbii

April 13, 2012 at 12:50 pm

I too found this ‘organization’ and decided to look into them more. After looking at a few things on their site and clicked on their live chat knowing good and well that it’s mostly a scam. After getting connected with a live operator this is how our conversation went:
Please wait for a site operator to respond.
Wilfred George: Welcome To Adison High School ! How may I help you ?
Wilfred George: How can I help you ?
Anon: What is adison high school
Wilfred George: a school
Anon: What am I being guaranteed with your organization?
Wilfred George: a fully recognized and accredited high school diploma
Anon: Who are you recognized by and given accreditation ability?
Wilfred George: IACOOS
Anon: Who is the founder of IACOOS and when was it founded?
Wilfred George: visit their website for that Information
Anon: When was Adision founded?
Wilfred George: Its been more than 20 years
Wilfred George: are looking to get a high school diploma ?
Anon: Yes
Wilfred George: your complete name and email address ?
Anon: Not signing up with your organization without knowing guaranteed information that my education requirements are met.
Wilfred George: How old are you ?
Anon: 18
Wilfred George: ok
Anon: Do you know who founded your organization?
Wilfred George: That information has nothing to do with your high school diploma
Wilfred George: are you trying to be smart ?
Anon: It has everything to do with me getting a diploma from your organization. Am I coming off as too pushy for you?
Anon: Hello?
Anon: I am not interest in your miserably inadequate swindle of a fraud. You would think members of your organization would know the person who allowed you to give accredited diplomas, would answer questions correctly, and would have a higher intelligence. No I’m not trying to be smart, I am smart. I’m a genius. Find yourself knowledgable intellect before you start trying to humbug your deceit sham. Good Day.

After that I got no response whatsoever. First thing I noticed was the lack of grammar correct English used. Also my first question ‘What is adison highschool?’ got answered with ‘a school’ No? Really?! GASP! Really people? You’d think people who do these things would have enough intellect to be capable of to answer a simple question as to ‘What is adison highschool?’ I thought it was pretty funny because of how pathetic they are capable of being. ‘That information has nothing to do with your high school diploma’, pushing a diploma on me when all I’m asking for is a few answers? Someone is aggravated! Gosh darn me and my questions!
I hope everyone who finds these people take the time to look them up and check for a legitimate association. Anyone can make a pretty picture and put it on a website. Do your homework before throwing your money around! I hope this helped anyone even a little.

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Ashley

September 17, 2012 at 2:04 pm

Thank you so much for this. I’m so happy I didn’t waste my money! You’re a life saver

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Bibi

August 1, 2014 at 6:03 pm

They got me for my money back in 2008 and they are still doing it everyday. I was young and did not do my research prior to engaging with this so called school. Please Do Not Get Involved with them in any way

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Mustard Seed Training is a team of faith-based artisans creating materials for praying with children. Our ministry is to share the love of God and neighbor.

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