Pearson VUE, the electronic testing business of Pearson Education, is trying to track down a rogue outfit offering guaranteed online IT certifications - at a price.

An email currently doing the rounds is promising people what it calls the "easiest way to pass IT certification exams".

The rogue outfit is offering guaranteed passes for Microsoft exams for $150; $300 will secure a Cisco exam.

Says the email: "You can achieve any IT certification at your doorstep without doing anything. You don't need to go any testing centre, no need to cram questions, no need to spend money on braindumps.

"We have our own Testing centre...and we will register and take your exam at our center with 100% passing guarantee."

However, a spokesman for VUE Business - one of the testing centres named in the email - told The Register that the company was aware of the scam and warned that anyone taking a certification exam should stay well clear of such offers.

"VUE has over 3,000 authorised testing centres around the world, so every now and then one of them engages in this illegal behaviour and our security people work to track down the perpetrators and shut them down," he told us. ®