Raymond Roberts AKA Ray Ronson, Hypnosis Trainer in Cardiff Valley, UK - Fake PhD

We were alerted about this individual by the name of Raymond Roberts aka Ray Ronson. He operates Capital Hypnotherapy teaches hypnosis courses under the name of "Elestial Training" in Cardiff Valley, UK. 

He claims to have received an "honorary doctorate" from the Society for Information, Protection, and Education of Consumers (SIPEC-Europe) in recognition for his contribution to the spreading of knowledge and to scientific research.

Most people we know who have honorary doctorates don't actually refer to themselves a doctor. When we saw Raymond Roberts' website, our senses gathered that something didn't seem quite right. 

So we researched SIPEC. Yes, there is a SIPEC, but it appears that Raymond Roberts is the only individual who has ever claimed to have received an honorary doctorate from SIPEC. Therefore, his "contribution to the spreading of knowledge and to scientific research" must be earth shattering. Of course, we wonder what this contribution might be? Yet, there appears to be no research background in Roberts' CV. 

And, even if he did earn such a doctorate from SIPEC, we question what SIPEC's authority to issue a doctorate would be. 

We're calling this guy out as a PhD sham.

PhD-Fraud Roy Hunter Speaks Out On Fake PhD and Alpha University

Today, Roy Hunter, a PhD fraud who we previously exposed, wrote an open letter on Scott Sandland's HypnoThoughts.com. Our response will be coming soon.....
                                                             
 From Roy Hunter:
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For several months now the debates have continued over whether or not to use any degrees other than those originating from a regionally accredited university. While it is a fact that some alleged degrees can be purchased without being earned, that does not make all degrees fake just because they come from lesser known institutions that may not have “regional” accreditation.

Here Roy insinuates that his so-called degree granting "institution," Alpha University (or what we call a MILL), is one of those lesser known institutions.

Contrary to personal accusations from several people posted both publicly and sent privately, I acted in good faith regarding the two PhD’s awarded to me. There was no intent whatsoever to “deceive” or use a fraudulent degree. I did what several professionals told me was both legal and ethical.

If he truly believes that his fake PhD's are legitimate, then he is an idiot. Otherwise, one must presume that he is scamming the consumer into believing that he holds a legitimate doctorate. Idiot or scam artist? You decide before you give him or his publisher your money.

However, before getting back to the topic of degrees, I wish to address two specific issues that concern me greatly:

First, several critics of so-called fake degrees have attacked my character and imputed dishonorable motives. In my opinion their caustic comments appear to try to discredit me and my work, and/or discourage people from buying my books; and some comments may constitute libel.

We are not discrediting Roy's work, ROY is discrediting Roy's work. It's not libel if it's true and we can support our facts with additional facts. Roy's argument that "several professionals told me was both legal and ethical" doesn't carry any weight, particularly in an industry overshadowed by fraudsters with fake credentials.

While I believe their personal attacks are not worthy of individual responses from me, several colleagues whom I respect suggested that I post this response for the benefit of people who are new to Hypnothoughts and not familiar with my work.

Some critics have also stated that writing books does not mean you know much, indirectly referring to me. While that may be true for some people, numerous hypnosis instructors around the world recommend my books to their students because they believe my books contain valuable information. If those who judge me so harshly walked just one month in my shoes, they might have at least a little respect for my work.

Roy attempts to divert the argument to his books. The fact remains that we are here to discuss his illegitimate degree.

Second, when hypnotists attack other hypnosis professionals rather than debating issues, it destroys unity and creates division and confusion. Over the years I’ve seen a few caustic critics drive good people away from other internet hypnosis forums. That is starting to happen here, as several of my friends no longer post on hypnothoughts because of the flame wars. We need to put a stop to that. Take your caustic criticism to the Wild, Wild West group, which I hope is in the “safe” zone without Google access.

Sure Roy. You would love more than anything to not be called out on your fake PhDs. The best thing for hypnotists to do is EXACTLY what they are already doing, which is to make it absolutely clear to you and others like you, that you are the ones who destroy unity within the profession. Your fake degrees are an abomination and hurt the entire industry.

A personal attack is NOT appropriate just because the caustic criticism is sugar coated with “kind regards” and sprinkled with a few more polite words. A flaming critic looks bad in the eyes of most of the readers rather than the person the critic attacks. It is both rude and unprofessional, so PLEASE stop the personal attacks if you wish to post on any public forum.

Roy would love to not be attacked over his fake degree. We will never stop from exposing the fraud that you are.

We need more unity even though we may have diversified opinions. We can agree to disagree on certain issues and debate them without attacking the person. My goals ever since starting my practice in 1983 have been: first, to help empower my clients;

How can you empower your clients when you misrepresent your qualifications before they even walk in your door? Do you get a thrill out of being called, "Dr. Hunter?"

second, to help improve the quality of our profession;

Again, you have done nothing but denigrate the profession with your bogus credentials.

third, to create more unity even when we have differing opinions; and fourth, to help build bridges with mainstream healthcare.

What does Roy know about building bridges with mainstream healthcare? Mainstream healthcare, consisting of doctors with legitimate doctorates, will never build bridges with hypnotists that wave their bogus doctorates.

Back to the debates over degrees: Rather than engaging in the endless debates over the use of degrees and their impact on building bridges, I am currently not using either one of my two PhD’s on my marketing materials…nor on most pages of my website. However, I currently have no intention of renouncing either one of my PhD’s.

Note that Roy wrote "either one of my two PhDs." As can be seen by the possessiveness in his statement, Roy STILL can't get over the fact that his doctorates are fake.  And he has no intention of renouncing either one of his PhDs. Clearly, Roy wants to dig his feet into the ground and wave his fake PhDs like a flag. Yet, argues that he is trying to help the profession. Can anybody see the logic in that?

Further, Roy is deceiving his readers even more when he wrote, "I am currently not using either one of my two PhDs on my marketing materials...nor on MOST pages of my website." We beg to differ. Roy's most current marketing ad for Iceland clearly shows "Roy Hunter, Ph.D."

Several years ago an attorney told me it was appropriate for me to use the degree conferred by St. John’s University, the college founded by the late Arthur Winkler that was accredited by a theological accrediting agency.

St. John's University is not an accredited university. See our research here http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/11/roy-hunter-phd-fraud-scam-artist.html
He should ask that attorney for a refund. 

More recently, I received the following information from Dr. Conrad Adams from Alpha University regarding its legitimacy and accreditation:

"Dr." Conrad Adams is another degree fraud. See our research on this scam artist here: http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/11/conrad-adams-phd-fraud-and-diploma-mill.html

* * * * * * *
Facts: Alpha University:

1. is a private not for profit professional membership education institute registered in Nevada and Louisiana.
2. offers adults the opportunity to finalize their formal education.
3. adheres to guidelines and standards as set forth by the U. S. Department of Education stated in 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(iii)(D). We are going to print the entire code for you here shortly.
4. offers its courses using a hybrid system for learning (online, correspondence, classroom combined). So?
5. is accredited by the National Accreditation for Colleges and Schools and has been since September 11, 2009. The NACS is a fake agency. See http://www.ripoffreport.com/business-consulting/national-accreditati/national-accreditation-for-col-a3e05.htm
6. degrees have been examined, evaluate and verified by California University Foreign Credentials Evaluation and determined to be equivalent to degrees awarded by regionally accredited universities and colleges in the USA. Another scam outfit. See http://www.degreeinfo.com/accreditation-discussions-ra-detc-state-approval-unaccredited-schools/27628-california-university-foreign-credentials-evaluation-issues-degrees.html

* * * * * * *
We direct your attention to our research on this degree mill. See http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/12/alpha-university-degree-mill.html

Before jumping to conclusions, please consider the facts. I know that I am not the only person to have lost respect for several flamers on hypnothoughts. You know who you are, and if you ever want my respect, you will have to earn it through better behavior.

Let each of us find that part of ourselves that wants to help others and improve our profession by improving ourselves rather than trying to put other people down. Think twice, or even thrice before hitting the “Add reply” button.

Roy Hunter

Attorney for Travis Fox speaks out

We heard today from an alleged attorney for Travis Fox, the celebrity we ousted for falsely purporting to hold a doctorate yet, alleges to hold a doctorate in just about all of his marketing endeavors. This is what he wrote:

Gentlemen:

 

Please be advised that this office represents Dr. Travis Fox in connection with the untruthful and slanderous e-mails and your blog that you have created about Dr. Fox and his credentials.

 

In addition to the foregoing, you have put up a picture of Dr. Fox which you are not permitted to do without his written permission.  This picture must be immediately taken down and never used again.  If you do not cease and desist from using Dr. Fox's picture, then all appropriate legal action will be taken against you for a permanent injunction as well as an action for monetary damages.

 

Your blog is totally untrue and is libelous.  You must cease and desist from using this blog and/or e-mail and must stop spreading untruths and lies regarding Dr. Fox.

 

We do not know where you allegedly obtained your information about Dr. Fox, but rest assured that he has his credentials and your libelous and slanderous statements about Dr. Fox will be met with the full force of the law should you continue.

 

In conclusion, we want your blog corrected or removed completely and you can no longer use Dr. Fox's picture in any way.  This is a violation of Dr.Fox's rights and is an invasion of his privacy.

 

You can respond to this e-mail as listed. 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

Our response:

 

Dear Lawyer: 

 

We have done our research and Travis Fox does not hold an accredited doctorate. Therefore, our allegations are truthful and cannot be considered as slander. We ask you, Mr. Juris Doctor, how would you -or any judge on the bench who had completed a legitimate doctoral program, feel about somebody who fraudulently misrepresents themselves as a doctor? One certainly would presume that Travis Fox would receive no sympathy from these individuals.

Further, the image that we used is in the public domain in that it was readily accessible on Google. As members of the press, we have the right to use his image for public information and we are not gaining profit from it.

 

We'll make a deal with Travis Fox. If he can prove to us that he has earned a legitimate, accredited doctorate, then we will be more than happy to remove any reference to him from this blog. This would be much more cost-effective than hiring lawyers to fight a legal battle that he is likely to lose. Heck, we'll even apologize. Until then, we're not going anywhere.

Readers respond to Scott Sandland blog

I've never met Scott Sandland but a friend of mine just graduated from his school.  From what I've heard and seen from her, that is one demanding program.  She studied her ass off almost every week for a year.  I'm talkin 20 hours of work minimum every week.  She was stressed about finals for most of the classes.  they had live class two or three times a week on top of the 7-10 hours of recorded video and the books they had to read and assignments (papers, videos, etc).

At one point I asked her what kind of certificaiton she was gonna get for all her hard work.  She told me the school taught her that all the titles in the hypnosis industry are bullshit and so she wasn't doing it for letters after her name.  

I trust her opinion and she says scott and richard clark are working their asses off to help them, even after they've graduated.  They helped all the students get internships with hypnotists, psychologists, counselors, and probably a few other things I don't know about.  I've never heard of a hypnosis school doing this, and now I wish I had done the program with her because she got all that on a partial scholarship for like a thousand bucks.  I paid $800 for a week long class that didn't teach a thing and had back of the room sales.   

So like I said I don't know Scott, but I am a hypnotist who has benefited from hypnothoughts.com and know people who have benefited from his school.  I've never seen him promote or endorse a PhD.  It's pretty unfair of you to blame him because other people are assholes.  

I guess I should have just made this one sentence long though:  Yeah, you are being too hard on Scott Sandland.

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 Scott Sandland is perpetuating the use of fake doctorates in hypnosis. Just look at the most current ad by Roy Hunter for his workshop in Iceland (displayed on the right hand side of HypnoThoughts). Click on it and it will take you to Roy Hunter's page where he proudly boasts his non-accredited fake PhD.

If Sandland actually cracked down on this and stood by his ethical word, these folks wouldn't be able to con others with fake doctorates, and use, his HypnoThoughts blog to do it. He is absolutely guilty by association. He's inviting these loons to present at his conference.

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Hmm, holding someone responsible for the actions of someone else is kind of a grey area. It's sort of like holding godaddy responsible for hosting phony websites (i.e. sites by the people who claim to have fake PhDs).

Though it's true he might be viewed as an accessory to fraud, is he a fraudster himself? Do you want to take your site in the direction of pointing the finger at everyone involved in perpetuating a single, disreputable person's actions? It seems to me the list of accessories would be never ending (and 6 degrees of separation might actually start hitting close to home).

I have no clue who Scott Sandland is, so I really don't care about the outcome either way. But I do wonder if the people called out on your blog are providing good content on Scott's site. If so, I can understand Scott not wanting to start calling these people out on his own site. It's almost a catch-22 situation for him:

If he calls them out, his site may start to lose credibility (making it known he has scammers on his site). 

If he doesn't, you will continue discrediting him, with the same results.

Unless he, himself, is claiming fake credentials, I lean towards letting some of the pressure off of him. If he really does support your missing, then exposing those individuals that are somehow associated with him will all work itself out in the long run.

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Thank you for your efforts in exposing all these fake doctors of hypnotherapy.

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I wonder what it's like for Scott to know that there is a website having people basically vote on his quality of character.  I don't know how I would react if people who never met me got to decide if I was ethical or not.  What a weird concept.

thanks again for doing all the work

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I'm writing in response to your request.  I think that person who said Scott is a good guy is right on the money.  Like I said before to you in a previous email, he is the reason I stopped using my unaccredited PhD.  He was calm and respectful in his conversation with me about them.  Some of us will learn better from him than from you.  You make it a fight, he makes it an education.  I'm not here to tell you if one is better than the other.

You can't fault him for knowing people who do something you disagree with.  That's like hating one politician because another one lied.  His website has no standards and is free for anyone to use.  Every single hypnosis conference in America has presenters with fake PhDs.  That's a problem with hypnosis, not Scott.  

Whoever wrote that email to you has a lot of good points.  

You are telling people you don't like the way they run their businesses.  Scott told you he didn't like the way you run your business.  The only difference is he was brave enough to use his real name and had enough respect to tell you directly.  Scott's biggest problem is he keeps expecting other people to act with the same level of respect and integrity that he does/has.  Your treatment of him is a perfect example of that.  

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The person who's email you just published is absolutely right.  You've misrepresented Scott to an amazing degree.  Very few hypnotists have worked harder to build more bridges with the licensed health care practitioners.  The guy is barely 30 years old and he's taking pay cuts to help people older than his parents build their businesses.  Who else in this field brings in other hypnotists to meet doctors and dentists in clinics?  Who else has presented at Medical schools?  Who else is turning down money to do what he thinks is right?  If he was in it for the money, do you really think his school would cost $2,000 for a full year that he gives away 50% of before expenses?

Scott could have sold out and made big bucks a couple times.   He's trying to work with the decision makers and industry leaders instead of fighting with them.  You have chosen controversy and fighting.  Your tactics are based on hiding your true identity and scaring people to change.  Scott is the opposite of you.  He's being an example of a person willing to put his name on things and build people up.  He encourages people to be better.  I'm sure he isn't perfect and if you dig you can find mistakes in anyones past, but guilt by association is the best you've really been able to do with him.  

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Thank you for your support!

We wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support. There is clearly a silent majority of people who, like us, believe that using fake credentials does nothing more than undermine the hypnosis, wellness, alternative healing professions. If the scammers had any idea how many emails we receive daily showing their support, and how fast this blog is catching on all over the world, they would be shocked. Some may even recant their fake degrees, and some have. Yet, some still continue to press forward with their sham (see Roy Hunter).

We are also grateful for the support of those who wish to publicly acknowledge our blog, such as http://www.tranceforms.co.uk/fakedoctorates.php, who wrote:

People Who Have Fake Doctorates Blog

I love this blog, and you should you too if you think that it's wrong to claim to be something you're not. It's all so they can look more ‘professional’ and, therefore, important, but the bottom line is that they are scamming the public. There's too many liars, thieves, charlatans and scumbags about in our lives as it is to have those that offer ‘trust’ to be a part of it too. They should be ashamed of themselves but many argue about it with the blogger! Disgusting. Go take a look for yourself: http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.uk

Dorothy Neddermeyer, Phoenix & Scottsdale, Arizona - FAKE DOCTORATE

Dorothy Neddermeyer of Genesis Consultants located in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona falsely claims to have earned a PhD. Just like many of the other perpetrators we have identified, Neddermeyer conveniently leaves out the details such as from where she earned her "PhD" and in what field.

Hypnotist renounces fake PhD from Alpha University

Another well-known hypnotist and teacher of hypnosis from the UK, has renounced his scam PhD he supposedly earned from "Alpha University," thanks to our blog.

Of course, he does so kicking and screaming.

On his Facebook page, he wrote:

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ FULLY!

I hereby fully renounce the 'Doctorate in Philosophy in Behavioural Sciences' that I announced a few months ago.

This was NOT a 'bought degree'. On the contrary, I had submitted in excess of 200,000 words to what I had been led to believe was a private but bona fide university in Louisiana for their PhD programme. I was assured that the submission would be externally validated by California University and everything seemed genuine. The papers I subsequently received looked authentic, were complete in every detail, and included degree certification from both universities, transcripts, course details, evaluation reports and everything else you would expect.

Only a dimwit would think they can submit a "paper," regardless of how many words, and receive a valid doctorate. In a typical academic doctoral program, there are years of course work in your field and in also research methodology prior to even proposing a research paper. Once a paper is proposed, then it has to be approved by a committee, researched, submitted, and defended.

However, the recent attacks on my integrity and honesty led to me spending many hours investigating the situation. Smoke screens abound but I eventually discovered that the issuing university...

why don't you just say Alpha University?

...in Louisiana is a correspondence address (either that or it's a small office shared by several independent companies), the 'California University' is NOT the same place as the University of California (in fact, it's another correspondence address, albeit in 'University Tower, Campus Drive') and the 'validation office' appears to be a daycare centre for children. Therefore, in my opinion, this 'degree' is completely without value or credibility and I have returned all the papers to the issuing address.

I am now left with a feeling that I need to set the record straight. I do NOT hold a PhD. (My 'MCGI' from City & Guilds is the genuine article, however).

In my defence, I will say that there were many good reasons for me to accept the validity of this PhD programme, though they are not for discussion on a public forum.

Ignorantia juris non excusat.

Fight back! Post our blog everywhere!

We received word that some of the sleaze bag degree frauds identified here are trying hard to bury our blog by lowering our Google rankings. Please help us fight back by posting our blog URL: http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/  everywhere you can.

It's simple. Use Google and find similar sites (fake academic credentials aren't just limited to the hypnosis profession). In the comments section, post our URL. Be sure to include something relevant so it doesn't come across as spammy.

We realize that many of you are concerned about your identities. Simply go to Gmail and create an entirely unique email account for yourself. It's that simple.

Happy posting!

Another UK-Based PhD Fraud Renounces Bogus Degree

The individual wrote to us today and stated:

"I have been informed that I appear on your blog as having a fake doctorate. It should be noted, that when I was awarded my DCH, the American Institute of Hypnotherapy enjoyed state approval from California which I believed to be adequate oversight for the qualification. My PhD was awarded under similar circumstances with the assurance that accreditation was being worked on, and whilst this organisation did gain accreditation, they had to drop their PhD programme as part of the accreditation agreement. I ceased using that qualification, some years before I ceased using the DCH."

There is a saying that goes something like: Ignorantia juris non excusat. In other words, ignorance of the law is no excuse. It's not rocket science to figure out that a degree program is not legitimate, so we will proceed with any such excuse as just that -an excuse.

However, we acknowledge that this individual has removed any reference to themself as a Dr. or PhD on their website. We also acknowledge that, thanks to years of cross-pollination on the internet, it will be difficult, if not cost-prohibitive or impossible, to eliminate such references from sites not under the individual's control.

Holding to our agreement, with have removed this individual from our blog.

Another PhD Faker RIghts The Wrong

We received word that a hypnotist in Michigan, USA had renounced the fake PhD they supposedly "earned" from Alpha University. The excuse was, "I didn't know it wasn't an accredited degree."

While we swiftly take that lame excuse and discard it with as much effort as it took to earn the supposed degree, we accept that the person indicated had removed any self-reference to "PhD" or "Dr." on their website or marketing materials.

As such, this individual was removed from our blog.

We will, however, continue to follow up on these individuals as we have been made aware that this individual, and the UK-Based individual who we last reported to have taken steps to clear their name, are still closely involved with Conrad Adams, leader of the Alpha University scam, and plan to offer trainings in conjunction with the Alpha University scam outfit in the UK.

APHP Chairman and Others Renounce their PhDs

An interesting thread surfaced recently on the hypnosis blog site, HypnoThoughts.com, entitled, "APHP Chairman and Others Renounce their PhDs: Start of the End of Exaggerated Credentialing?"

We wonder how long this thread is going to last before Scott Sandland decides to pull the plug.

See http://www.hypnothoughts.com/forum/topics/aphp-chairman-and-others-renounce-their-phds-start-of-the-end-of

Roy Hunter, a recipient of the prestigious (fake) doctorate degree, wrote:

"I believe this is a dangerous topic to discuss, as many people throw out the baby with the bathwater in their attempts to do housecleaning.
There is a huge difference between earning a degree, whether regionally accredited, non-accredited, or accredited by an agency that is not on the same level as a major university's regional accreditation."

Clearly you are oblivious to the fact that a "degree" that is "earned" from a non-accredited "university" or "agency" (as you write), is NOT A DEGREE. It is a piece of paper that means absolutely NOTHING.

"An accreditation attorney told me over a decade ago that it was legal to display non-accredited degrees that were earned unless prohibited by state law. For example, the DCH cannot be used in Florida, but it would be allowed if Florida (rather than California) had approved that degree as a non-accredited degree."

Of course you can display your non-accredited "degree" on your wall. Just like you can hang a photograph, a portrait, or a poster. It is when you mislead others into believing you are a doctor (which Mr. Roy Hunter has done), then it is unethical, immoral, and in some places, criminal.
 
"While I do not personally have a DCH..."

Really? What about the phony doctorates you supposedly earned from St. John's University and Alpha University? See http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/11/roy-hunter-phd-fraud-scam-artist.html


"...several of my former students worked many hours to earn that non-accredited designation from Al Krasner's organization...which I was told was approved as a non-accredited degree by the State of California. So would I be out of line advising my former students NOT to use a designation they worked for?"

No, Roy Hunter. You would not be out of line for advising former students NOT to call themselves a doctor when they haven't earned a doctorate. In fact, that would make you an ethical person. Since you have no idea what the word "ethics" mean, then it is no wonder why you continue to use your own phony doctorate and tell others to do the same. Doing some sort of work, which I'm sure was nowhere close to being on par with any legitimate degree program anywhere in the world, does not give an individual the right to claim false credentials. 

"I applaud the integrity of Terence Watts, both personally and professionally. However, let's not over-react, as some good people might get hurt.
Roy Hunter, flawed human
PS: My work speaks louder than any credentials."

Go ahead and continue to speak your meaningless rhetoric, Roy Hunter. If your work speaks louder than your credentials, then it would be easy to stop using your phony doctoral credentials."

Fake PhD Realizes Error and Retracts Fake PhD

We have received confirmation that a UK-based hypnotist whose name was posted on this blog had retracted their false use of doctoral credentials. This individual informed us of the following:

"I was of the understanding that Alpha [University] was licenced by the US education authority. I do not wish to be a part of a fake document, and considered using this was legitimate.

All PhD references to me on my web sites and other areas have now been removed. I possess many qualifications including medical qualifications which are genuine."

We give this person accolades for stepping up, admitting their mistake, and for making the necessary adjustments in their marketing. 

We have kept our word and removed any reference to this individual on our blog.

Hypnotist Convicted For Sexually Assaulting Client and Having Child Porn

In a shocking story which recently appeared in this news, Philip Sherwin, a hypnotist located in Leicester, UK, fondled a teenage client while she was hypnotized. While investigating the matter, hypnotists found over 44,000 images of child pornography on his computer. The judge who convicted Sherwin "slammed the apparent lack of regulation for hypnotherapists after hearing he had just a one-week course and a two-day seminar on the subject before setting up in practice."

Read the entire story here:
http://www.capitalbay.com/headline/294976-hypno-sicko-pervert-put-teenager-in-hypnotic-trance-then-filmed-himself-sexually-abusing-her.html

9000 Blog Views and an email from Random Hypnotist

To date, we've had almost 9,000 page views. That means 9,000 more people know who is scamming the world with fake doctorates than before we started the blog.

We received an email today from Random Hypnotist in Washington:



To answer this naysayer's questions, we are going after anybody that uses fake doctorates or endorses the practice of it. Scott Sandland allows his HypnoThoughts.com to run rampant with individuals who boast fake doctorate. AND -he is profiting from HypnoThoughts Live, a conference featuring so-called expert presenters who tout fake doctorates. These "experts" are conning this public into believing they have such credentials. He also deleted a thread on his HypnoThoughts that was serving to expose these individuals. Scott Sandland has also posted a number of testimonials from so-called (fake) doctorates as well as poorly conducted research articles these so-called (fake doctorates). He is also on the "board" of a known doctorate degree mill. He promotes the practice using fake doctorates. Plain and simple. He is equally as guilty. Once he banishes the use of fake doctorates in his professional dealing and trainings, we will retract our comments about him. Until then, the world must know that these individuals, who they are paying to teach them something, are fraudulently purporting to hold academic qualifications which they do not have.

You said yourself that Scott Sandland could have earned a PhD for free from "Alpha University." Your testament to the well-known fact that the degree mill practically gives away such "degrees" does not help the case, especially since Sandland is supposedly a "board member."

Let's see how serious Sandland is about building ethics and integrity in this hypnosis field. I challenge you, Scott Sandland of HypnoThoughts.com, to immediately stop the perpetuation of any false academic credential on your site or training sessions.

Let's talk about Richard Nongard. His boasting a PhD "on less than 5 of his many, many products" does not make it better for him. It's actually more than 5, but do we really need to count? If he is such an expert, then why must he lie about holding a PhD? We are aware that he is, indeed, a state licensed mental health practitioner. That is not our concern. Our concern is that he boasts having an illegitimate PhD. There are other state licensed mental health practitioners who we have exposed. See http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/11/dr-keli-henault-phd-fraud-from-austin-tx.html.

"He doesn't need to help hypnotists to earn a living." Well, that's not exactly true. His marketing of numerous products geared towards hypnotists on subliminalscience.com and to psychotherapists and other professionals on fastceus.com would make a reasonable observer think differently.

Roy Hunter. If he's really that good, why must he boast a fake doctorate? Particularly from the very same degree mill, Alpha University, that wanted to give Scott Sandland a free doctorate?

We didn't ignore Jonathan Royle. And Wendy Friesen didn't claim to have earned a PhD, nor does our research find that she helps to perpetuate the practice of such.

Of course, each of these people who are called out has the opportunity to respond on this site. The comments sections are left open for this very reason. To date, there has not been a single response from any of the accused. We believe this is testimony to the accuracy of our information.

How Many FAKE Doctorates Will Be Presenting At Scott Sandland's HypnoThoughts Live?

Over the next few days, we will be pointing out those with FAKE doctorates who are scheduled to present at Scott Sandland's HypnoThought's Live. Could THIS be the reason why he shut down any discussion about fake doctorates on his website? Could this be part of that self-serving agenda we wrote about earlier?

To quote Romper Room's Miss Sally and her Magic Mirror...And I see the following people who are SO FANTASTIC AT WHAT THEY DO, THEY HAVE TO LIE ABOUT HAVING A DOCTORATE....there's Roy Hunter, Nancy Barwick, Roger Moore and Anne Spencer (remember Scott Sandland's testimonials?), Robert Otto, Melissa Tiers, Marla Brucker, William Mitchell, Shelley Stockwell, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Interestingly, there are at least three individuals with real, bonafide doctorates presenting here. How must Kweethia Neill, Don Pelles, and Brian David Phillips, who actually did the legitimate doctoral work, feel about their cohorts who LIE about their academic credentials?

Do you know a FAKE Doctor? Let us know!

We intend to post the identity of each and every individual who falsely purports to have a doctorate. If you know of one, let us know. Contrary to somebody's comment, WE DO NOT PLAY FAVORITES. All who lie about their academic credentials are guilty.

Feel free to email us either from your own email address (your information is kept confidential and deleted upon receipt) or from an anonymous email address.

Alpha University - Degree Mill

Alpha University

We received several reports from individuals claiming to have earned a PhD from Alpha University. We previously busted Terence Watts, Roy Hunter, Patricia Scott, Jennifer Eve Alexander, and Patti Conklin, PhD Fakers, who all have claimed to have earned PhD's from here. 

A little more investigation into "Alpha University" reveals its mailing address as 4664 Jamestown Avenue, Suite 140C, Baton Rouge, LA.

This same addresses belongs to:

"Dr." Conrad Adams (also on our list of PhD Frauds) 

Action Tek Computer Services 

Louisiana Hypnotherapy Organization 

Infinity Hypnosis Institute 

The Alpha Motivation Institute 

Sounds really fishy -a "university" that also happens to be a computer repair shop, a "hypnotherapy organization," and two different hypnosis "institutes." So I decided to check it out on Google Maps:

"Alpha University" happens to be a suite in the Parkview Office Building, which happens to be "Dr." Conrad Adams' hypnosis office. There's a For Rent sign in front of the building, so if you're looking for some office space in Baton Rouge, LA, I suggest contacting the Parkview Office Building management office.

"Alpha University" = BUSTED

Let's dig a little deeper into their "accrediting organization, the "National Accreditation for Colleges & Schools, Inc." (or NACS). A simple Google search yielded more complaints logged with the Better Business Bureau than I can count. Apparently, the NACS is NOT accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. Click here to view all of the schools and agencies that ARE accredited by the D.O.E.
The NACS had misled numerous people trying to accredit their "schools" through deception, by saying that they are accredited or will soon be accredited, by the US Department of Education.

Therefore, let's create an equation:

If Alpha University is a SHAM, and the National Accreditation for Colleges and Schools is a SHAM, then any PhD supposedly earned there....is a SHAM.

Response to Scott Sandland of HypnoThoughts

Scott Sandland, founder of the massive Ning-based HypnoThoughts blog community, sent us an email today declaring his disdain for our approach in exposing the degree scammers. He wrote:

Dear Scott Sandland,

None of us here at PhD Scammers care that your removed the "fake PhD" thread from your blog. We were exposing these fakes long before the thread and will continue to do so long after it's gone.

You write, "I'm a big fan of accountability and raising standards." That's a BS statement if I ever heard one, considering your own site is rampant with individuals using false credentials and you have done absolutely nothing to counter it. Thus, you are about as guilty as them because you allow it to go on. But your site is self-serving, isn't it? In providing an outlet for new and prospective people interested in hypnosis so that you can sell your product, training, and enhance your own credibility and exposure. Brilliant concept. So why alienate the frauds that contribute to your community? They only bring your more exposure. Unwitting individuals think that Dr. So and So is an expert and, thus, you have a community of experts (with phony doctorates). Too bad for the few that really have honest to goodness doctoral degrees.

Not to mention, that you have made many professional connections with those purporting to have (fake) doctorates, and you are using their name and title to enhance your own credibility, including the testimonial on your biography from Roger Moore, PhD who alleges holding a PhD in Clinical Hypnosis:

And Anne Spencer's testimonial and articles (which would NEVER be published in a scholarly publication), who is elusive about where she earned her PhD and in what field, but consistently refers to herself as Anne Spencer, PhD:

 and

 

Shame on you, Scott Sandland. You are supposed to be a shining star but you truly are just as guilty as them. Thank you, by the way, for the referrals. We'll be looking at Roger Moore and Anne Spencer on our blog shortly.

Recently, you suggested a discussion about it. A meager discussion won't fix the problem. They have been given an opportunity to redeem themselves and not a single one has taken advantage of this. They would rather go on and take their chances with their phony credentials.

These individuals need to be exposed, if anything, for the wise potential client or student that decides to conduct some background research on their prospective fraud.

We will continue to reference HypnoThoughts, if need be, as long as there are individuals claiming to have (phony) doctorates and posting as experts. We believe that will be for a very long time.

Response to Kathleen Hanover of HypnoThoughts

We were recently alerted to a discussion on the Ning-site, HypnoThoughts.com, where this blog became quite the topic of discussion. Kathleen Hanover, a self-purported PR expert, had this to say:

Ms. Hanover should know something about the media, as we are a media firm and she is supposedly a marketing expert. The law on libel is clear, with particular emphasis on the phrase, "A statement that falsely:"

We do our research. A diploma mill is a diploma mill, and a fake doctorate is a fake doctorate. Our statements are not false but are filled with truth (which is more than we can say for these individuals who are, indeed, falsely purporting to have earned a doctorate).

We also take note of your reference to us as "slimeball." Why would this lady want to take sides with individuals who are falsely purporting to have earned academic credentials? We wonder if there is an ulterior motive or if she is simply misinformed. The silent majority of readers will attest that we (and yes, we are more than one) are heros and those that are committing acts of fraud and deception by citing fake credentials are the true "slimeballs."

Further, to answer your question about photographs, they are not stolen. Once they are placed on the internet, they are a matter of public domain and we are free to use it when we are addressing that particular individual or individuals in our capacity as a media organization -much like your photo above as it is freely available on the internet. You posted it knowing that the world will see it.

David Newman, Jefferson City, Missouri -FAKE DOCTORATE

David Newman of Jefferson City, MO claims to have a D.Sc. (a Doctor of Science). However, he refuses to say from where. His LinkedIn page clearly claims master's and bachelor's degrees from Arizona State University (we can't attest to Heriot-Watt University, and frankly, we don't care). But the doctorate? Zip. Zilch. Nada.

However, on the website for the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, we see that he claims to have earned a Doctor of Science in Parapsychology from Bridgewater University in the UK where, for only $180, you too can be the proud owner of a Doctorate!

Bridgewater University, in addition to being a known degree mill (See http://fakedoctorate.blogspot.com/2012/11/known-diploma-mills-resource-guide.html), Wikipedia shows that Bridgewater University (in the UK) is associated with InstantDegrees.com.

InstantDegrees.com boasts INSTANT APPROVAL and NO COURSEWORK.

WOW! SIGN ME UP!

not.

Look at the FANTASTIC package they give you!

His website claims that his clients can expect miracles. Mirriam-Webster defines a miracle as "an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affair." We believe he's going to need a miracle to get himself out of this fake-doctorate hole.