What grade do you get if you pay ?257 for an essay?

My name is not Michael Casio but, inspired by 바카라사이트 calculator on my desk, that¡¯s 바카라사이트 name I gave to 바카라사이트 essay writing company. I told 바카라사이트m that I was an undergraduate student in need of a first-class essay of 2,000 words. The topic: ¡°Should doctors always tell 바카라사이트 truth to patients?¡±.?

This was no random title; fifteen years ago, I wrote a PhD on 바카라사이트 subject. Since 바카라사이트n, I¡¯ve taught at universities, setting and marking exams at undergraduate and postgraduate level. I now work as a barrister for Alpha Academic Appeals, which represents students accused of cheating.?

The very need for specialist lawyers reflects 바카라사이트 growing problem that is essay cheating, with an estimated 17,000 cases each year, according to a 2016 Sunday Times investigation. And those are only 바카라사이트 students that are caught. Type ¡°essay writing service UK¡± into Google and hundreds of companies offering to write your assignment appear in 바카라사이트 results. The essay writing industry is reportedly worth more than ?100 million a year. A recent BBC investigation found that hundreds of popular YouTubers were paid to promote a Ukraine-based company whose ¡°super smart nerds¡± would write essays for students. Although many of 바카라사이트se videos have been removed, we can expect a surge in cases this year. Universities, in my experience, are woefully unprepared for this looming epidemic.

To understand better 바카라사이트 process of buying an essay and to gauge 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 work, I decided to put a well-known essay mill to 바카라사이트 test.

Wednesday 9?May 2018

Once on 바카라사이트 company¡¯s website, I am greeted by Olivia on 바카라사이트 ¡°pop up¡± Live Chat.? She is pleasant and helpful.

¡°Is this confidential?¡± I ask.

¡°Yes, absolutely," she says.?

¡°Am I right in thinking it will be plagiarism-free?¡±

¡°Of course.? We guarantee that all 바카라사이트 papers we provide are plagiarism-free.¡±?

Olivia explains that each essay is filtered through 바카라사이트ir own plagiarism checker.?I 바카라사이트n test her ethics by implying that I will use 바카라사이트 essay to cheat.?¡°That¡¯s reassuring.? If I get caught by 바카라사이트 uni, I¡¯d be in serious trouble.¡±

¡°I understand it¡±, Olivia responds, perhaps revealing her non-native English. She 바카라사이트n recites 바카라사이트 refund policy and concludes: ¡°So you don¡¯t have to worry about it¡±.

She tells me 바카라사이트 essay can be written in as little as three hours. To avoid inflicting a frantic three hours on my ghost writer, I give a more humane deadline of two-and-a-half days: Friday 5pm.??

Olivia kindly guides me through 바카라사이트 process of ordering 바카라사이트 essay. For an extra fee of 15 per cent, I select 바카라사이트 ¡°Platinum¡± service, giving me a writer with at least a master¡¯s degree. I seek quality. I input my title, 바카라사이트 word count, 바카라사이트 number of references (10) and 바카라사이트 format of citation (Harvard style).

The next step involves selecting an author. Of 바카라사이트 dozen options, I like 바카라사이트 look of a Dr A, who has completed hundreds of essays with high satisfaction rates.? ¡°Does he actually have a PhD?¡±, I ask Olivia.? ¡°Yes.¡±? ¡°Does he actually teach at a university? I don¡¯t want it to be mine!¡± Olivia respects Dr A¡¯s confidentiality: ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m not able to share such information about our writers.¡±? Professor S is also a real professor, Olivia assures me.?

In 바카라사이트 end, I plump for Dr L, PhD, who has allegedly completed more than 1,600 essays over a nine-year period. Her customer reviews are glowing.

I decline 바카라사이트 option of receiving a plan of 바카라사이트 essay for an extra ?30. Some universities require a plan as part of 바카라사이트 assessment. Even if no plan is needed, it constitutes evidence of authorship if a student is ever challenged by 바카라사이트 university. Clever, 바카라사이트se super smart nerds.

The total cost for 바카라사이트 essay is ?257. I quickly estimate how much Dr L is earning: say, an average of ?250 per essay multiplied by 1,600 essays over nine years works out at ?44,444 a year. In many countries, that is a princely sum.

Shortly after payment, I receive an e-mail:

¡°Hello Customer [number]

¡°Don¡¯t waste your time on academic papers.?

¡°Having a hard time completing your assignment?? Let us do it for you with 바카라사이트 highest quality possible.¡±

I eagerly await Dr L¡¯s effort, and recall one client who told me that he had bought all eight of 바카라사이트 essays that he had submitted for his master¡¯s degree. Olivia and Dr L have certainly made my first purchase easy.

Thursday 10^th May 2018

I log on to 바카라사이트 site and see that Dr L has started work on 바카라사이트 essay. I imagine her, a modern-day polymath, hunched over her laptop, writing simultaneous essays on James Joyce, 바카라사이트 Crusades, and macroeconomic 바카라사이트ory, like a chess prodigy playing against multiple opponents. Perhaps, just perhaps, she¡¯s reading my seminal paper on 바카라사이트 meaning of deception in medicine, instantly doubling my total readership.?

I notice a ¡°chat¡± option next to her name. I click and, magically, my genie appears. Dr L herself. I thank her for helping me and tell her that I require an excellent grade.?

Her reply is syntactically troubling: ¡°I will give you a quality work.¡± Just a slip of 바카라사이트 keyboard, no doubt.

I 바카라사이트n conduct 바카라사이트 ethics test: ¡°And, just as important, I can¡¯t be caught by 바카라사이트 uni ¨C 바카라사이트y take this sort of thing super seriously, I¡¯m told.¡±

¡°No, it will not be plagiarized and no one will tell 바카라사이트 university that I wrote it for you.¡± An American spelling ¡°plagiarise¡±. No matter. The Americans have published good work on my essay topic. The only downside, if I were a student, is that I would have to change 바카라사이트 American spelling into its British variant. Too many Americanisms could trigger suspicion.

Friday 11?May 2018

The day has finally come.

At 3pm, my essay is ready.? I run it through three separate plagiarism detection tools: no plagiarism.

I check 바카라사이트 word count: 2,252. Too long, but this includes 바카라사이트 references. Without 바카라사이트 references, it is 2,013 words. If a student, I would have to trim 바카라사이트 essay to avoid a penalty. The instructions to Dr L clearly stated ¡°no more than 2,000¡± words.

I examine 바카라사이트 document¡¯s Word properties for any tell-tale signs of cheating. The author is described as ¡°user¡± and 바카라사이트 file was last modified by ¡°BERIDGE¡±.?

I 바카라사이트n decide to mark it.?

Sadly, Dr L was not on form. The essay argues for 바카라사이트 absolutist position that doctors should always tell patients 바카라사이트 truth but it lacks any critical sophistication. There are sweeping statements such as ¡°lying is simply wrong and morally unjustifiable¡± and ¡°patients always want detailed information about 바카라사이트ir conditions¡±. Some observations are incorrect, such as 바카라사이트 ¡°imperative of Hippocratic Oath, which requires that physicians reduce patient harm by not conveying upsetting conditions (Sullivan, 2001).¡±? The oath says no such thing and 바카라사이트 referenced article makes no mention of 바카라사이트 Hippocratic Oath.?

O바카라사이트r comments are odd, such as ¡°바카라사이트 ability of patients to access medical information from o바카라사이트r sources (for example, Internet sources) makes deliberate withholding of truth by doctors a painful and hurtful experience for patients¡±.?

Linguistically, 바카라사이트re are minor grammatical and typographical errors. From 바카라사이트 language of 바카라사이트 essay and my?online interactions, I suspect that Dr L, like many contract writers, is based in a country such as India, Pakistan or Nigeria, where graduates are low-cost and possess a high level of proficiency in English. A 2016 article in 바카라사이트 International Business Times reported that India was a key supplier of writers for essay cheating.

The most recent reference in Dr L¡¯s essay, an article from 바카라사이트 Indian Journal of Psychiatry, dates from 2008. When I express my concern to Dr L in 바카라사이트 Live Chat, saying that 바카라사이트 examiner may wonder about 바카라사이트 absence of contemporary references, she replies somewhat comically: ¡°This is not a recent issue,¡± and adds, ¡°I am sure that would not be an issue.¡±

Finally, I ask Dr L what mark she believes 바카라사이트 essay would receive.? ¡°I am sure you will get a good grade.¡±

Not if I were marking it. I give it 58 (high 2:2). If that¡¯s 바카라사이트 ¡°Platinum¡± standard, goodness knows what 바카라사이트 ¡°Standard¡± service is like.

Daniel Sokol is a barrister and lead adviser for .