LOS GATOS, CALIF. — Plain-clothes police entered Dr. Ian Stone's practice the morning of his office's Christmas party, quietly identified a
receptionist and arrested her in front of the entire staff.
To the small-animal veterinarian's surprise, the receptionist was accused of stealing clients' credit-card information, which
she allegedly forwarded to a boyfriend who was racking up bills totaling an estimated $400,000.
Since then, Stone contacted clients he believes could have been affected, sent personal letters to every client and wrote
an open letter to the rural, affluent community of Los Gatos, where he practices.
"I've had two interactions where clients have threatened to sue me, but for the most part, everyone's pretty understanding,"
he says. 
From the school of hard knocks: A receptionist's theft of credit-card information left veterinary practice owner Dr. Ian Stone
of Los Gatos running client damage control. In the end, only two clients threatened to take legal action.
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Stone continued with the party, which served as a team-building event, he says. Still, the practitioner now insists on background
checks and drug tests for all employees. The office no longer records clients' driver's license and Social Security numbers
and keeps all credit-card information under wraps, he says.
"I would tell other veterinarians to eliminate their liability this way," Stone says. "This one person tried to ruin the faith
I had in my staff. I see this as a blessing. It's like an act of God. No one ever plans to have this happen."
For sale: DVM and technician degrees
NATIONAL REPORT — Diploma mills date back to the 14th century, but modern technological advancements now churn out more sophisticated players, turning fraudulent education into
an estimated $500-billion business. Online outfits sell diplomas from virtual schools such as Belford University, where a
counselor explains to DVM Newsmagazine that students earn degrees based on "life experience." One can purchase a degree in veterinary medicine (albeit research)
for roughly $700, he says.
Fast Fact
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Other companies produce counterfeit diplomas from legitimate universities, explains John Bear, author of several books on
the diploma-mill craze. In 1985, U.S. Rep. Claude Pepper bought a fake doctorate in psychology to show how easy it was to
proclaim himself Dr. Pepper. At the time, he asserted that more than 500,000 Americans obtained false credentials, estimating
1,000 of them to be phony veterinarians.
"Absolutely nothing happened as a result of those congressional hearings," recalls Bear. "I'm not aware of any more recent
numbers concerning the veterinary profession, but this has become huge business, and it's especially rampant in the medical
professions."
While former FBI investigator Allen Ezell has no DVM degrees, he does have credentials to show he's a lawyer and medical doctor,
twice over. His phony diplomas come with transcripts and a verification entity. When reviewing the credentials of veterinarians
and technicians, he advises owners to take time to verify that contact numbers and addresses match the program's legitimate
information.
"Ask to see lots of identification, too," Ezell suggests. "You can buy documents to show that you're anybody. It's very scary
out there."
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