Axact is a Pakistani software company which was under investigation since 2015 for running several websites selling fake academic degrees. The company is owner of Pakistan’s leading news channel BOL News and AAKH (AIK ALLAH KAAFI HAY) trust. It is a Karachi based company, having over 2,000 employees. It was founded in 1997 by Shoaib Ahmed Sheikh and registered in 2006, according to Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan records. Almost 370 websites are associated to this diploma mill. Axact aims to raise Pakistan’s IT exports by $50 billion and expansion of workforce to 1000,000 according to its official website. The Grand Expansion of Axact ‘s Islamabad office with 7000 workforce ,ultra-modern in house facilities with Pakistan’s largest LED logo is one of Axact’s breakthrough in Pakistan’s IT industry. Axact’s website logo reads that Shoaib Ahmed Sheikh has a plan to make Pakistan world’s #1 country in the world by 2036. Having marked its presence in 120 countries, 13,000 cities, 2 billion users, 23 world class products and 25,000 employees are also included in Axact’s selling point. In 2004, Axact paid whopping income tax of approximately Rs. 18,90,000 (US$18,543) in 2014. The boom of Pakistan’s largest IT Company Axact turned into largest scam of its own type with the conviction of its CEO today by Islamabad High Court , giving sentence of 20 years in prison and fine of  0.5 million to him and 20 other Axact employees.

The New York Times Investigation

A report of The New York Times published in May 2015, caused an upheaval in international and Pakistani media, claiming Axact to be involved in world’s biggest internet scam on records. The report said that Axact ran at least 370 degree and accreditation mill websites.  The reporter of this story Declan Walsh released documents to prove Axact’s suspicious online colleges and universities. This report led to an investigation in Pakistan and a raid made for further inquiry, which went to found hundreds of thousands of degrees, student cards and other incriminating evidence at an Axact office. On May 27, 2015, the CEO of Axact  Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh, along with other senior staff members were arrested.  In August 2016, Sindh High Court granted him bail. It was also reported in April 2016 that Axact took money from at least 215,000 people in 197 countries — one-third of them from the United States. Reports also suggest that the company earned $89 in its final operation year.

Reports in BBC

As per a recent report by BBC, thousand of UK nationals bought fake degree, doctorates, and professional qualifications from Axact. The report claimed that the company is still in functional state and earning its normal revenues and also that it has sold 300,000 fake degrees worldwide. Almost 3,000 of Axact degree holders are UK nationals also.

FBI Investigator’s Comments

A former FBI investigator Allen Ezell, who paid scrutiny to the case comments about Axact as “at least a billion dollar operation”. “We live in a credential-conscious society around the world, as long as paper has value, someone will counterfeit and sell it. Plus, employers aren’t doing their due diligence in checking out the paper, that’s how the business works.”

According to her, Axact does not sale any products and all they did was con under IT banner. She further commented:

 “The school doesn’t exist. The faculty doesn’t exist. The curriculum doesn’t exist. They are a master in using social media. They have everything from fake videos to fake press releases. It’s all fake. But they’re good at it.”

Comments of Chief Justice of Pakistan

“Axact scam embarrassed the country globally”

 

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