Six higher education institutions in Singapore and four universities in New Zealand have reportedly been placed on a list of unaccredited institutions and so-called "degree mills", which has been compiled by the Office of Degree Authorisation of the state of Oregon in the United States (US). As one of the first US states that introduced legislation against the use of non-authorised and fraudulent degrees, Oregon has adopted strict laws regarding the use of qualifications from unaccredited institutions and those dubbed "degree mills" (substandard or fraudulent colleges that offer potential students degrees with little or no serious work undertaken). Oregon's strict legislation makes its list of unaccredited institutions one of the most comprehensive compiled by a state government body in the US. Why have Singapore and New Zealand, two countries that are generally well-known for their good quality universities, been placed on Oregon's list of "degree mill countries"? With a growing number of fraudulent institutions, how is it possible to identify a "degree mill"? Which actions can be undertaken to counter-act the international presence of fraudulent institutions, low quality colleges and fake degrees?