The fake university had been set up in 2015 as part of an elaborate sting operation aimed at ensnaring foreign nationals who had initially come to the United States on student visas. The Department of Homeland Security’s list of certified schools where international students can enroll includes the University of Farmington. The “unique educational experience” promoted on the school’s website apparently consisted of not going to school at all. The school’s website never said how many enrolled students it had, though it claimed that they came from all 50 states and 47 countries. Although the fake university was set up in 2015, it wasn’t until February 2017 that HSI agents began posing as university officials, the indictment said.

Source: Washington Post January 31, 2019 12:10 UTC