Degree mills harm students and society. Students who are unknowing victims of degree mills are harmed when they invest a considerable amount of money for credits or credentials that cannot be used for, e.g., transfer to another institution, entry to graduate school or employment. Society is harmed when fraudulent credentials are issued in areas that put public health and safety at risk, e.g., engineering or the health-related professions. The international work of legitimate higher education providers -- reliable evaluation of credentials, successful transfer of credit, reconciling differences in degree structure -- is undermined by degree mills. A small group of higher education, accreditation and quality assurance and credential evaluation experts came together in 2008 to explore the challenge and problem of "degree mills" or bogus providers of higher education, particularly as these operations affect the growing internationalization of higher education. Seeking to stimulate an international dialogue, the group developed a series of suggestions for effective practice in this area. The statement that emerged is intended for academic staff and administrators, accreditation and quality assurance professionals, credential evaluators, national governments and international organizations concerned with quality in higher education in an international setting. It is also intended to guide students, particularly from developing countries, in seeking opportunities for international education. The suggestions offered here are intended to promote an international dialogue leading to eff ective international practice to address this important issue. To ignore degree mills is to undermine the capacity of countries to meet expanding demands for access while assuring high-quality education.