ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) –Thousands of nurses across the country might be working with bogus degrees, and some of them might be in Illinois.

The Department of Justice closed three Florida schools after an investigation, which found that the schools issued more than 7,600 un-earned nursing diplomas between 2016-2021.

The schools involved include Sienna College, Sacred Heart International Institute and the Palm Beach School of Nursing.

OSF in Urbana, Illinois said that it places strict rules in how they vet and hire new nurses.

“We want to hire individuals who have a license or come from an accredited college, and they have done all of the prep and everything necessary to be a registered nurse,” said Deborah McCarter, chief nursing officer at OSF. “So, I think for our prize, its very scary to think that scheme is out there. It’s very fraudulent.”