Brazilian Students Lured into Diploma Scam in Paraguay
Hundreds of Brazilian students were lured into a diploma scam in Paraguay, promising them affordable postgraduate degrees that would be recognized in Brazil.
Brazilian students have fallen victim to a diploma scam in Paraguay, with hundreds of them losing their money and facing the cancellation of their degrees.
## The Scam
The scam involved a Paraguayan institution called the Faculdade Interamericana de Ciências Sociais (FIX), which promised students that they could earn a postgraduate degree in a short amount of time and have it recognized in Brazil. The institution claimed to be in partnership with Brazilian universities and promised students that they would be able to validate their diplomas in Brazil.
However, the FIX was not registered with the Paraguayan authorities, and the diplomas it issued were not recognized by the Brazilian government. The institution's main strategy was to convince students that the courses had legal backing and that the diplomas would be recognized by Brazilian universities.
## Online Courses and Travel to Paraguay
The courses were mainly conducted online, with students attending classes once a week in Portuguese. Students were also encouraged to travel to Paraguay to complete requirements related to the validation of foreign diplomas. However, many students only made one trip to Paraguay during the entire course.
## Discovery of the Scam
The scam was discovered when Paraguayan authorities analyzed documents used by the FIX to prove the legality of the courses. They found inconsistencies and concluded that the carimbos, assinaturas, and documents presented were false. The Paraguayan Ministry of Education also found that the FIX was not registered with the Conselho Nacional de Ensino Superior, which meant that it could not issue valid titles.
## Financial and Emotional Impact
The impact of the scam went beyond the loss of diplomas. Many students spent thousands of dollars on course fees, travel, and validation processes. Some students even had their degrees recognized by Brazilian universities, only to have them cancelled later.
One student reported spending over R$ 40,000 (approximately USD 8,000) on course fees, travel, and validation processes. She concluded the course, had her diploma recognized by the Universidade Federal de Alagoas (Ufal), and later saw her title cancelled.
## Investigation in Progress
The Brazilian businessman Ismael Fenner, who was identified as the responsible for the FIX, had his arrest warrant issued by the Paraguayan authorities and was also indicted by the Brazilian Federal Police for the diploma case.
In a statement, Fenner denied any irregularities and claimed to be the victim of persecution by education sector entrepreneurs. His defense team argues that he is disputing the ownership of a regular institution in Paraguay in court.
As the investigation continues, students who believed they were investing in their careers are trying to recover the money they lost and deal with the consequences of a scam that, according to one of the victims, was so well-planned that it seemed impossible to suspect.
| **Institution** | **Registration Status** | | --- | --- | | Faculdade Interamericana de Ciências Sociais (FIX) | Not registered with the Conselho Nacional de Ensino Superior of Paraguay | | Universidade Federal de Alagoas (Ufal) | Recognized Brazilian university | | Ismael Fenner | Brazilian businessman and alleged responsible for the FIX |
