Virtual training?

We were asked: "Help is this real or another scam?"

We were given a link to a Facebook group for something just called "Online Courses" which links to a web site for "Online Colleges | Online Courses | Online Colleges in the UK".

This site lists a number of "colleges" and facilities that each has its own web site which you can see below:

• London Home Learning
• Oxford Home Study College
• Brentwood Open Learning College
• Staff Training Solutions

A little bit of detective work later and something curious emerged. Each of these four establishments have exactly the same address: Cardiff House, Cardiff Road, Barry, CF63 2AW in Wales in the UK. This is what that address looks like:

In fact this is nothing more than an accommodation address, "The Business Centre", which offers a range of business services including "Virtual Offices" which they describe as:

"an extremely cost effective option offering all the benefits of a serviced office without the physical office – simply; a telephone answering service with a business address and access to a range of business support services.
...
The virtual office service is ideal for those who work from home, or industrial unit or on the road but recognise the value of having a prestigious business address and reception service to create the right impression of your business."

Then there are the companies themselves.

• London Home Learning. No trace of this company being registered in the UK. Web site registered on 4th December 2013.
• Oxford Home Study College. Registered as a UK company on 17th December 2013. Web site registered 2 days later.
• Brentwood Open Learning College. Registered as a UK company on 17th September 2009. Web site registered the day before.
• Staff Training Solutions. No trace of this being a registered company in the UK. Web site registered on 8th June 2013.

I have no comment to make on the quality of the courses these people offer or their registration with the relevant authorities. All I say is that you can and should judge a company that offers training services by how they operate and the slightly shady way they present themselves.