Another Cheating Scandal

I also like the whole "dominos falling" part on the top. Subtle

If there is enough information to bring a case, then Paypal record can be obtained via subpoena. The subpoena would have to be very narrow in scope and specifically state an email address and dates I'm sure. The Paypal lawyers would probably fight it to make sure it's as limited as they can make it, but those records are not off limits. Same idea that if you hold copyrighted music or movies on your computer from downloading them, your IP logs and online activity can be obtained from your ISP.

How do you guys think RIAA has been suing each individual for some time now? They get the IP, trace it, contact the ISP. One of the ISPs, if i remember, refused to give RIAA IP addresses. Not sure what RIAA did, but they eventually got the list and that's how they started suing people.

Again, people in US will be easy to target so it won't be surprising if GMAC goes after them first.

For the amount of noise it makes, GMAC needs to provide better information to people who register for its tests. It needs to provide a list of blacklisted companies/websites who are suspected of carrying original exam material. On the other end, GMAC also needs to have a review system of the various test preparation services available in the industry and may be bring in a licensing/authorization system. Without good resources for preparation, applicants will continue to stumble on to such websites.

While GMAC has many flaws (do a search to find out what people think of it) we shouldn't thrust the responsibility of policing test takers onto GMAC. I think 99% of people that take this test are over 20 years old. When do we draw the line and say someone has to be responsble for his/her own decisions and face the consequences.

It's too easy to blame someone else (GMAC) and say they should have prevented us from doing something. It's our parent's job to prevent us from doing stupid stuff so we learn what we are supposed to do. Once we get to a certain age, we either have integrity or we don't, but no one should be asked to prevent us from doing something wrong.

Oh, I agree with that. All I am saying is that GMAC needs to become better at providing information to test takers. I am not necessarily absolving anybody from anything.

Yes, an IP address is enough. You can actually do a "tracert" online and get a visual map showing the route the trace goes through to the destination. You can also do this on your own command prompt if you have the IP address. It will make a connection from your computer and search out the IP address showing the links it makes on its way to that IP address. If it loses a connection along the way...that's where it will end.

They don't even really need your name if they know your IP address. Each IP address can be traced back to a certain ISP. you might have (example, not real ip) 223.183.32.85. Well, the first 3 numbers "223", "183" and "32" might be Comcast in Baltimore. The "85" would be your individual IP address asigned to you by the server when your modem gets connected. The ISP creates logs of IP address logged on at certain times. I believe that authorities can say "This IP address accessed XYZ website on XX/XX/XXXX date. Please give me the information for this person." or, Comcast can just shut your internet off, make you call them and they give you a warning not to do whatever it is you did.

Any techie can correct me where I'm wrong. I kept it kind of general, but that's how I understand it.


NCPRASAD - The GMAC would never go for being requried to provide us more information as this just creates more liability on their part. It creates a duty for them that they do not currently have and really have no reason to have. Would it be nice if there was some way we could have a list of website to avoid? Sure. It's also just as easy to use common sense when browsing. Once we figure out a place is not somewhere we want to be, leave and never go back. Warn others on sites like this forum about what you discovered.

If you discover a bad website, that's not illegal. 99% of people will understand and believe us if we say "Yeah, I discovered it via a Google search, but once I saw what it was all about, I left it along."

Well said. Some people who have used scoretop extensively in the past may think chance of them being caught is slim to none, but you never know. Just look at how many people have been sued by RIAA and I would think that the # of scoretop fanboys is far less than # of illegal music downloaders.

Good explanation. Basically, if you have static IP address it makes GMAC easier to find you because IP address is like your home address. If you have other methods of getting IP address from your ISP, things could be harder.

The fact remains, at least according to the article, the people knew what they were paying for. End of story.

wow. The site has 14000 members. Assuming even 20% of the members used the VIP service, we are looking at close 3000 people or so. It will be interesting to see how many of these members ended up at the top schools. I see a lot of folks there who reported scores of 740, 760 etc. One would think that with scores like that, they would have made it to some of the best B-schools. This is going to be interesting to follow.

Do you think something will come about this? Expulsion of some 1,000+ students? I doubt it. I bet that nearly nothing will come about and the punishment will be light, and much will be swept under the rug.

btw, I'm officially going to tell others that I've scored in the 99th percentile. I'm a zero admit, so this story makes me sick.

But looking at the site Rhyme posted, and in their description of the VIP service here (https://web.archive.org/web/20061230063431/www.scoretop.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12066&PN=1) ScoreTop says that they DO NOT provide live questions. So I am not positive GMACs claim that they know what they were paying for could be substantiated?

On the other hand, they own the test, I guess they can do what they want?

~Sam

Honestly, I haven't even clicked on the link. Don't want any association with it. With that said, I think J Allen mentioned something about lip service. I can't imagine anyone going to that site w/o knowing what they were getting into. I know that's not enough to prove in a court of law, but in my book, they knew what they were doing.

I certainly understand the idea of lip service, but the VIP membership page makes NO mention of live questions, directly or indirectly.

All it discusses is the sets written by their in-house writers, and clearly states that those questions are property of ScoreTop and no copied from any other source...

LOL. i hope those that got into top schools get expelled.

I agree that scoretop said the questions were not real live questions, but if you do a few searches online you'll find that members often specifically bring up how the VIP service helped because they got "5 or 6" of the same questions on the exam. That seems pretty common in people's score reports on the site, and I suspect that people knew exactly what they were doing.

That doesn't mean that someone who didn't cheat - or who signed up without knowing that might be targeted by GMAC and end up getting kicked out - and certainly, I expect at least someone to sue as a result, but ... to me, its seems clear that people knew what was being offered in the VIP section.

Whether or not scoretop officially or unofficially condoned it, is another question -- but not one that really matters.