Naive victims of US move against fake schools

Twenty-one "brokers, recruiters and employers" in the United States that allegedly used illegal means to help more than 1,000 foreign youths get student visas (in some cases employment visas) were arrested in a sting operation by the US Department of Homeland Security earlier this month. The students, mainly from China and India, can now have their visas cancelled and be deported.

To sniff out the fraudulent agencies, US federal agents set up a fake university three years ago - the "University of Northern New Jersey" - which was not staffed with instructors or educators, had no curriculum, and held no actual classes or other academic activities.

Indeed, sting operations like this have helped solve some tricky cases, which normally involve corruption, sex trade, drug smuggling and gun regulations, even terrorism.