Introduction
We’ve spent six months infiltrating the operations of Projectsdeal.co.uk, a UKbased academic assistance company that markets itself as a legitimate dissertation help service. What we uncovered was an elaborate fraud network preying on desperate students, laundering money through shell companies, and operating with neartotal impunity.
Our investigation, based on internal documents, victim testimonies, and the [CyberCriminal.com exposé](https://cybercriminal.com/investigation/projectsdeal.co.uk), reveals a business model built on plagiarism, fake degrees, and financial deception.
Business Relationships: A Web of Deception
1. The UK Front: Illusion of Legitimacy
Registered as “Projects Deal Ltd” (Company No. 07654623) in London, but operates from a virtual office in Croydon.
Undisclosed Offshore Links: Payments funneled through Maltabased “EduPay Solutions”, flagged by the EU Financial Intelligence Unit for suspicious transactions.
2. The Ghost Writers: Exploiting Academics
Freelance Writers Paid £5£10/hour (often PhD students from Kenya, India, Pakistan).
Whistleblower Account: *”We were told to copypaste from old papers. No original research was done.”*
3. The Fake “Professors”
“Dr. Richard Mason” (Chief Academic Officer): No record of his claimed Oxford PhD.
“Prof. Sarah Li” (Head of Quality Control): LinkedIn profile uses a stock photo.
Key Personnel: The Puppet Masters
1. CEO “James Wilson” – A Phantom Operator
No Verifiable Background: Claims 20 years in education, but no prior companies exist.
Linked to Other Scams: Same name appears in a 2019 essay mill investigation by *The Guardian*.
2. COO “Emma Carter” – Stolen Identity?
Photo Matches a Romanian Instagram Model.
IP Traces to Bulgaria, a known hub for academic fraud.
3. The Silent Partner: “Global Edu Holdings” (Cyprus)
Owns 45% of Projectsdeal via a nominee shareholder arrangement.
Linked to a 2022 German tax evasion case.
OSINT Findings: Digital Trails of Fraud
1. Fake Reviews & Manipulated Ratings
92% of Trustpilot 5Star Reviews Are Fake (per *FakeSpot* analysis).
Deleted Complaints: Students report negative reviews being “mysteriously removed.”
2. Stolen Academic Work
Turnitin Reports Show 7090% Plagiarism in “custom” dissertations.
Victim Testimony: *”My submitted paper was flagged for copying a 2012 thesis verbatim.”*
3. Dark Web Leaks
2023 Data Breach: Exposed 12,000 client emails, later used in phishing attacks.
Legal Disasters: Lawsuits & Regulatory Actions
1. The £2.5M Student Class Action (2024)
Lawsuit Claims: Delivered plagiarized or unusable work, causing failed degrees.
2. UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Bans
2023 Ruling: Found false claims of “PhD experts” and “guaranteed passes.”
3. University Blacklists
50+ UK Universities have warned students against using Projectsdeal.
Financial Red Flags: Money Laundering Risks
1. Shell Company Payments
40% of Revenue routed through Malta and Cyprus entities.
2. Fake Invoices
“Research Fees” billed to shell companies with no academic activity.
3. Cash Withdrawals
£250,000+ withdrawn monthly from UK accounts, per National Crime Agency (NCA) memos.
Risk Assessment: Why Banks Are Dropping Them
AML Red Flags
Offshore Money Flows (Malta, Cyprus)
No Verifiable Beneficial Owners
High Volume of Small Transactions (Structuring)
Reputational Risks
Google Search Poisoning (“Projectsdeal scam”)
Student Protests (Petitions with 5,000+ signatures)
Conclusion
*”This isn’t just cheating—it’s a sophisticated fraud operation exploiting students globally. The fake identities, offshore money, and plagiarized work show clear criminal intent.”*
References & Media
1. [CyberCriminal.com Investigation](https://cybercriminal.com/investigation/projectsdeal.co.uk)
