LONDON: A fake degrees scandal worth millions of pounds that has ripped off thousands of students has become so widespread that experts now warn that it could tarnish Britain's academic reputation.

An investigation into the scale of web-based degree fraud reveals that the scam appears to be escalating despite government attempts to shut it down. Obtaining a fake honours degree can now take just minutes online and a few hundred pounds.

Concerned that the reputation of elite institutions is being tainted, Ministers are preparing tough powers to halt the racketeers. However, many warn that the scam will worsen if university top-up fees are introduced.

One side-effect would be to deter UK students while attracting foreign undergraduates, increasing the risk of overseas students paying fees for worthless qualifications from universities that do not even exist.

Many fake universities continue to operate with seeming impunity online. These include Shepperton, which charges students more than pounds sterling 3,000 a year in return for a non- accredited degree not recognized by employers.

Another bogus institution is the University of Dorchester, which offers students only a mobile phone number. -Dawn/The Observer News Service.