Reporting someone for admissions fraud

[LaTristesseDureraEntre]

NC for this.

I've reported someone for admissions fraud/ giving a false address. Someone in my social circle. They've used their old home address for school applications, but that home is now a holiday let (they still own it) and they've moved down the road to a cheaper area. I sent the LA some info and will let them draw their own conclusions. I did it partly because it affects me/my family (in the obvious way - child in the same school year, tight catchment for desirable school). But tbh I find their behaviour awful so I imagine I'd have been minded to do it anyway.

AIBU? I know on MN the normal response is "keep your beak out" but, really, would you have kept quiet?

And no, before anyone starts, no “Ooh maybe child has special needs / husband is polygamous / there’s a special underground tunnel linking the two properties so that they are in fact one”. Just pure old address fakery. WIBU?

What, if anything, is likely to happen to them?

No I wouldn't report them unless I really hated them, they are doing what most would do if they had the chance.

Its sneaky to lie and take a place away from another child.

Not sneaky to report fraud well known enough about in order to have a specific phone number or email adress to report.

A parent shouldn't fraudulently obtain a school place. I expect of parents were forced to pay for the travel expenses incurred sending the other child to a different school they may well think.twice.

The point being that most people don't 'have the chance' of owning two properties, and choosing to live in the bigger one but pretend that they live in the smaller one for the purpose of getting their child into the school that they want.

I mean I would tell them- I reported them. If you believe something, stand up for it.

@T00Ts

Their place could be withdrawn

@narcdad

No I wouldn't report them unless I really hated them, they are doing what most would do if they had the chance.

bollocks

Why would you be so invested in this.

Seriously.

Wasn't someone prosecuted for this in Harrow not so long ago

I don't agree with people doing this - dishonest

You know. This is why I keep my circle very very small and very tight.

I am not friends with school playground Mums for example, but will exchange pleasantries with them.

Never mind the saying ' got your back' more like ' knife in your back'.

Just not worth it.

@TronDeReplay well they wouldn’t be left wondering who if their friends and family had reported them

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@T00Ts

Their place could be withdrawn[/quote]
How does it work? Does the council investigate, or the school? Does anyone know of a place being withdrawn?

I sound like I’m looking for hints, I’m not! My kid is only one. But I have never really heard about this happening before so I was curious.

I'm Team You, OP. I don't have kids so no dog in this fight but on principle I disagree with relatively privileged parents (I.e. enough to own 2 properties) employing sneaky tactics to cream off the best educational opportunities which are supposed to be allocated to local children.

This woman also needs to learn to keep her gob shut about anything sensitive.

@VladmirsPoutine

This is exactly why people should never discuss their business with people. The person OP reported is in her social circle so could even be considered a friend. Honestly I wish more people would understand this! Just don't tell people your business because there are countless people like the OP waiting in the wings to ruin something. Honestly be careful out there people! Even your own relatives can sell you down the river never mind friends!

In other words, get away with fraud if you can. Your post is all about how awful the OP is, rather than how awful the fraudster is. How very deeply odd.

yeah, we could have used ex's address for dd's school application as he lives lless than a 100 yards from the school gate, but as the children do not live with ex, we went with our address that is a mile or so away.

[quote LaTristesseDureraEntre]@Toanewstart23

I am! I am the sort of person who gets het up about P&C parking violations. That’s me. I’m neurotic, petty and law-abiding and want the rest of the world to be too. But on this occasion I think my moralising puts me squarely in the right.

To whoever asked, the child hasn’t started school yet and the move was months before the application deadline. Ie when they made the application they weren’t living at address A.[/quote]
actually by your own admission, you have reported them for dishonesty but you plan to be dishonest yourself to them. you aren't just a good ol' honest person who likes to follow rules , you like to pick and choose what to be honest about.

they moved to a cheaper area because they couldn't afford the nice area at the right size. the nicer area would presumably be nicer for their kids, so they are just doing their best?

i wouldn't have done what you did. you are messing with their lives unreasonably imo, it is unlikely that what they do will really affect your child, if you are honest. you remind me of someone i know who reported someone to their bank for fraud - there was no fraud, no one benefited from the reporting, it was just because they thought "maybe there is fraud" and it caused no end of headaches and stress while it was being investigated.

Yes @T00Ts the admissions team at the LA would investigate, In hot spot areas there are, I believe from admissions experts present on other threads, regular addresses that are used for short term rentals and in those LA's that may be a flag. Pre admissions day, the fraudulent applicant could be moved into their 'correct' admissions category which could lead to a place not being given, post admissions day all the way through to school attendance the place could be withdrawn if fraud is proven.

@Macademiamum

I think you should never report anyone for anything if you aren't willing to tell them you did to their face. So eg. If one of my friends started using drugs and I reported concerns about their child to children's services, I would tell them I was doing so.

can tell you don't live somewhere where you would get a brick through your window or get punched if they knew it was you.

@A580Hojas In other words, get away with fraud if you can. Your post is all about how awful the OP is, rather than how awful the fraudster is. How very deeply odd we don't know if there has been fraud and nor does the op. she is reporting on an assumption. a school has told me to get a temp address so that my dc falls within catchment. it is a specialist school. neither you nor the op know for sure what is going on - op is meddling - and not planning on being honest herself.

@mynewbeamer - the OP says it is quite possible to impact her child - admissions have to be ranked somehow and if OP's child is 61st on a two class entry and the fraudulent applicants are above her - her child has been deprived of a place

you remind me of someone i know who reported someone to their bank for fraud - there was no fraud, no one benefited from the reporting, it was just because they thought "maybe there is fraud" and it caused no end of headaches and stress while it was being investigated.

But there is fraud.

Are you another person who thinks that the rules should be that the owners of a property near the school are prioritised for a place vs the people who live near the school? I genuinely can't understand the logic of this attitude - but happy to hear people out if they want to explain.

I did this a year or so ago. Parent completely open about what they were doing - renting their house out and renting within catchment of a hugely oversubscribed secondary school.

School said they had received my email. Nothing happened.

My DS bumped into theirs and asked where they had been. Child said they had moved so he could get into the school they wanted.

I can't understand how they got away with it

But anyway, obviously I think you're doing the right thing.

@LaTristesseDureraEntre
I've not read the full thread but is it a primary school place.
We always smell a rat when parents decline a home visit and then miraculously change their address the first week of term
Having said that, I've also done visits were it's clearly not the child's home. Think young hipster type couple and child trying to pass off what is clearly their Granny's house as there own!!!

I just think it's cowardly to stay annoymous. If people speak out publicly, you might find others who then have the confidence too. When something becomes clearly unacceptable in society it encourages change.

The thing is the person doing this knows that it isn't right because they are going to great lengths to orchestrate this deception gaining an undeserved advantage