To ask for help with possible qualification fraud?

[Shambu]

I've discovered a relation of a close family member is promoting himself to his clients as having an Hons degree he does not have.

I've known him for 20 years, and his qualification was a much lower status one which he didn't finish.

It is featured on his email on all communication with clients.

How would I find out? I contacted the institution to find out if they offered that course at the time, but I cannot make a request for specific information without his being informed.

You want your sister to leave your BIL. How do we encourage women to leave abusive men? Do we use the softly-softly-catchy-monkey approach or do we get their husband fired?

??

Oh for crying out loud - for someone who presumably has a degree - you're being awfully slow on the uptake this morning.

Come on, op. Answer better!

Maybe because you only answer 20% of the questions asked

I don't have the time or energy to reply to every post.

There have been some really intelligent and informed reponses which I have noted and found helpful. I really appreciate people who've taken the time to make them.

But I tend not to engage with the goady posts.

You only respond to posts that agree with you. Typical AIBU.

Im not goading you by asking what you want to achieve. You say you are worried about your sister if it all came out. But at the same time you want to expose him to her! So what is the point?
And if she is already aware he may not have what he says, why would she care if you give her a but more detail? Do you really think she will want to divorce him?
I'm just really not sure what angle you are coming from...

OP how does this affect you? Keep your nose out of it.

The point was Becky that your post was pure invention...

What do you want to achieve in all of this?

I've very clearly articulated for you:

1. where you might have missed or misunderstood information that's directly relevant to whether or not the man has a qualification
2. some advice on how to look up a qualification (but why you need to be specific about the institution)
3. how qualifications convert
4. why you need to be specific about the industry to get real help
5. why you approach with your sister doesn't look like it'll work
6. why your approach is unclear so you might not get what you need by way of advice.

I've tried to help, but you don't give basic information to clarify facts nor to allow real help. And you say it's because I'm "goady". Wow!

If your sister already knows and is burying her head in the sand then that’s it. Stop busybodying

And you say it's because I'm "goady". Wow!

I've never said you were goady.

If your sister already knows and is burying her head in the sand then that’s it

Until the pack of cards comes tumbling down and then it becomes my problem.

I've been asking you a lot of questions and you've ignored them. When I asked you why, you said you "tend not to engage with goady". How can we get you to answer questions?

OK OP - I'll ask - WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Its not your sister thats married to this person, is it? Its you, hence why you are desperate to get the facts, and so certain of your facts when it comes to his qualifications.

Are you actually afraid that he is about to be sued again, and bring your family life tumbling down?

I think any outcome of whatever it is you think you are going to do will have a negative impact on the relationship with your sister...

It sounds like you’ve already broached it (and tbf it sounds like with absolutely no actual facts)... if your aim is to raise it again I think an exasperated response is what you will get along the lines of “ffs your like a dog with a bone - leave it”.

I’d stay out of it imho. It’s been 20yrs, he may have finished it sometime during the past two decades with Open University or other means. You don’t know. It’s up to employers and clients to ask for a copy of his degree certificate to validate his education on his CV. If they don’t bother to ask for it, it’s on them tbh. Every job my husband and I have done, we’ve had to send in a copy of our degree certificates to validate our education listed on our CVs.

Why aren't you considering contacting the employers/ governing body that he's fraudulently claiming to be a member of??

Are you OK with this??

Once you tell your sister of your concerns... You can't undo it.... She will act how she will.

If someone is invested in their partner being fraudulent... It's paying their mortgage etc.... Logic /facts probably won't sway her....

All that will happen is that you'll fall out....
. She either won't believe you or kid herself what her husband is doing... Is not 'that bad'

I've been asking you a lot of questions

I know. I've answered some of them. And some more than once.

Why does it become your problem? She’s a grown up

It is definitely my sister not me. No way would I put up with that in a partner.

My understanding of the OP:

• She thinks her sister's DP does not have the degree he claims, but does not know how much that affects his competence in his job, or his legal liability

• He has proven incompetence at least once, when his professional advice to her sister was described as "disastrous, do NOT do this" by a genuinely qualified person.

• He has also been sued for mistakes - but we don't how common this is at his firm
  if it is uncommon, was he given any official warnings or reprimands by them ?
  Do you know this, OP ?

• She fears he may lose his job and become unemployable, which would devastate the family

• She does NOT want to out him to his employer, because that would probably result in his immediate sacking
  Personally, I sympathise more with the clients and his employer, both of whom could lose considerable amount of money.
  Also the genuinely qualified person who should have that job, if he has lied
  However, the OP understandably prioritises her sister over them

• She wants to convince his sister ot the danger, so that he no longer mentions his degree in professional correspondence

• She wants advice on how to obtain sufficient proof to convince her sister to talk to him about removing this degree reference

Did I understand you, OP ?
However, I don't think you would be helping her, if you say she is wilfully ignoring this
She would continue to do so, whatever proof you find

Also, it wouldn't save him though, if he actually has deceived his employer about his qualifications and they find out.
Even if he actually is ok at his job, fraud is often automatic grounds for sacking

Once someone has been in a job or in a field for 20 years, HR and employers may not think to check his qualifications,

because he is so well-known
and maybe has friends in higher management, so noone wants to make an enemy of him.

It is possible in lax firms for people who reach any management level to bluff about their lack of knowledge
and to use others at lower levels to do the work they themselves cannot

The trouble arises if they do some of the work themselves, for which they do not have the knowledge

Can you tell us some vague detail; the specialism (e.g. Accountant / Engineer), the Industry (e.g. Retail / Insurance / Transport), the original qualification type (e.g. NVQ) as that will really help without being outing.

I'm happy to just message you privately if you don't want the details on a public thread.

How do you kniw he hasn't done open uni or whatever else OP? Keep your beak out.