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A settlement has been proposed in a class action lawsuit alleging Belford High School, Belford University and other co-conspirators engaged in a scam to dupe people into paying to receive high school diplomas from schools that don’t really exist.
If you obtained a Belford High School diploma at any time between Jan. 1, 2003 and Jan. 23, 2012, you may be entitled to payment from the Belford scam class action settlement.
The Belford High School class action lawsuit was filed on Nov. 5, 2009 and alleged that the Belford defendants perpetrated an internet scam in order to defraud prospective students out of their money. The plaintiffs claim Belford High School offers a “valid” and “accredited” high school diploma, but that in reality, the diplomas are not valid because the school is fake.
The plaintiffs allege that Belford claimed to be accredited by the International Accreditation Agency for Online Universities and the Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation, but that these entities are also fake.
In August 2012, Belford High School, Belford University and other co-conspirators were ordered to pay $22.7 million to more than 30,000 victims of their scam. The court found that Belford High School and Belford University are fake schools.
Belford reportedly admitted that it never had any administrators or employees, that the accrediting agencies are fake, and that the names of faculty and administrators posted on the diplomas were also fake.
After the judgment was entered, the plaintiffs’ attorneys attempted to find money from the defendants in order to pay the victims of the Belford scam. They reportedly located money in accounts who were held in the names of Pitko Inc., Tullow Inc., Mivvel Inc., Lateral Designs Inc., IT Device Pro Inc. and Payment Profs Inc., and they believed this money actually belonged to Belford High School. The attorneys subsequently sought to recover the money from these defendants.
The defendants disagree that the plaintiffs would have won at trial but agreed to settle the diploma scam class action lawsuit to avoid the burden and expense of ongoing litigation.
According to the Belford class action settlement website, the Belford defendants have been ordered to stop using the scam websites associated with their deception, including www.BelfordHighSchool.com, www.BelfordHighSchool.org, www.BelfordUniversity.org and www.BelfordUniversity.com. These websites have reportedly been taken down so that no further consumers are subjected to the fraud.
Who’s Eligible
Class Members of the diploma scam settlement include U.S. residents who obtained a Belford High School diploma at any time from Jan. 1, 2003 to Jan. 23, 2012.
Potential Award
Varies, depending on the total number of valid claims that are filed and how much money Class Members spent in connection with the Belford High School diploma.
The maximum payment that a Class Member may receive is the amount they paid in connection with their Belford High School diploma. However, the Claims Administrator will determine individual payments based on the number of total claims filed and the amount of money the Class Members spent.
Proof of Purchase
Class Members must submit a copy of their Belford High School diploma, or evidence explaining why they are unable to submit a copy of the diploma.
Claim Form Deadline
6/12/2017
Case Name
Lauber, et al. v. Belford High School, et al., Case No. 4:09-cv-14345, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
Final Hearing
7/10/2017
Settlement Website
Claims Administrator
Belford Class Action
PO Box 6878
Broomfield, CO 80021
(844) 320-4304
BelfordClassAction@Googasian.com
Class Counsel
Thomas Howlett
Dean Googasian
THE GOOGASIAN FIRM PC
Defense Counsel
Todd Holleman
MILLER CANFIELD
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175 thoughts onBelford High School Diploma Scam Class Action Settlement
I never got my claim
I got hired with the broward county school board by using this diploma but I couldn’t get into any schools!! I can’t believe i let this opportunity pass me by with this claim!!
This is crazy, How am i know finding out about this.
I took these classes and passed, received my diploma and got the job I needed it for. However when I tried using the diploma for furthering my education it did NOT work. I paid, I believe $325 USD for this crap. Shame on me, i should have done a bit more research before completing anything. I really wished I knew they were a lawsuit going on, cause I would have sued the living crap out of the owner.
If anyone know of anything that can be done, if not to late, please let me know. Much appreciated!
I had taken the entire curriculum with all the mandatory course and online testing as provided by any online college or University. The courses had online text books and materials to study more than what students are provided for when I was attending high school and dropped out during a teacher’s strike my junior year.
The testing was honest on the website and scores were based on curriculum provided.
There was no restrictions on how fast one could complete each section, but all sections had to be completed.
The diploma and based on assessment scores were given and determined on comprehension of reading and mathematics in algebra and geometry where were the levels and honors were given in actual GPA format.
I received my certificate which was left in a locker in Idaho and disposed of when the storage was auctioned, a copy which was in my email at my Yahoo account at whoever has intent to Target people for failure, as a victim of not only cyber crime but identity theft I lost the documentation and now the accusation of the validity of the education paid for at Belford.
To keep Colleges and Universities in business where open theft is acceptable is okay and the certification holds merit than that achieved here
Was this set up with the intent of scam or to establish they who took this type of education to be invalid to promote their own agendas.
I am a victim of it at both ends, as a student having completed the course now here not to file a lawsuit but to question the integrity of what education is when people such as myself are targeted to be abused for the profit of others
I did my test and passed and never received my diploma in the mail, and im JUST NOW finding out that is was a scam. What can i do if i have no proof of the diploma? I am so mad that it was fake!!!!
Just now finding out about this what can we do to receive our money back? Please contact as soon as possible. Thank you so much.
T. Davis
Hi my name is Anna Sandoval . I had gotten my diploma with belford high . Are they still not accredited?
That was it no official transcripts or accreditation was there not recorded bit pending at ACE
Why I am I just now hearing about this!!! I got my diploma in 2007…and I was looking for my transcripts and a copy of my diploma because mine got lost or thrown away through a my divorce…How do I get help
I did this how can I get my money back or lawsuit
Wow just now hearing about this so i wonder what people do now that’s just now hearing about this
So what do we do now? If i was trying to get s job with lets say a police department what do I tell them? Will they just reject me becsuse of this or what?
Wow I’m hust seeing this… I received my diploma in 2007. What should I do or who do I get in contact with about this. I’m trying to take up some college courses and need transcripts.
Just found out today. July 24, 2019. I got my diploma in 2009.
So has anyone who just found out, made any progress????!!!!!
08/09/2019
Just found out about the class action. Why were we not contacted. Is there anything we can do to get reimburse.
I was pulled in too, I justfound out and it 2019!!!!!
Same here! I received a diploma through Belford in 2009 and knew nothing of this until searching the website today to get a copy of the transcript.
I was just curious if you had found a way to get a copy of your transcript as I have been trying to do the same? If you do could you email me so that I can figure it out myself please Pollarm96@yahoo.com