BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhuanet) -- China's leading newspaper, the People's Daily, recently published an article warning people not to be fooled by "bad" intermediary firms which "reap colossal profits by illegitimate means" while offering help for people to study abroad.

    One poster saying that applicants could obtain an MBA degree from Lincoln University in the United States within one year only by paying 100,000 yuan (about 12,091 US dollars) attracted the attention of Wang, a citizen of Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province.

    Wang has a son who has just failed the national college entrance examination, which is an annual event to select promising students from millions of applicants across the country.

    Though tempted, luckily Wang became suspicious about the offer,the paper said.

    Intermediaries involved in introducing overseas universities for Chinese students can make a profit if they charge 3,000 yuan (or 362 dollars) or more.

    Some local intermediaries, however, demand 15,000 yuan (1,813.78 dollars) to 30,000 yuan (3,627 dollars) as a service charge which is regarded as "exorbitant profit".

    The newspaper warned people to be leery of posters that say things like "study in foreign universities without any applicationfees or entrance exams" which have appeared in Taiyuan recently.

    The newspaper noted that almost all public or private schools abroad require applicants to take entrance exams or submit TOFEL scores.

    Zhao, who knew the "inside story" of these firms, was quoted assaying that those working in these intermediary firms usually "vanish in the thin air" as long as they get their payment.

    Fortunately, not so many people have been so far fooled by these "underground" intermediary firms, according to the paper.

    The daily ascribed lack of supervision to the rampant illegal activities of these intermediary firms,.

    The paper urged authorities concerned to streamline the standards and norms in relation to intermediary business for introducing education opportunities abroad so as to make the sector develop in a healthy way. Enditem