Any Lawyers here? Need a legal Perspective on the world’s most ridiculous scenario

[Thisisastupidscenario]

So in this hypothetical situation… which I’m aware is ridiculous.

If an individual with an axe to grind was to approach the HR department of a company or the company in general (a large international company that has large customers) and make some allegations against an employee (namely that they’ve lied about their qualifications, despite fairly rigorous onboarding). Would or could that company sue that individual with an axe to grind for several million (maybe billion, and this is just an average joe here) for fraud and reputation damage?

to me it sounds like utter dog poo. But I’m not a sharp legal kind.

Oh gosh op. You are dealing with a dangerous sociopath. No one in 'The Service` can mention it. I know and I am not telling you how! I can tell you I have a law degree and a late parent in the police force. Blackmail is one of the most serious crimes so if this relative coerced your ex sil etc into fraud or suchlike Walter is in deep shit. She is being bullied as are you. He sounds like a very nasty piece of work. If he continues to threaten you you can report it as harassment. Two unwanted forms of contact can result in a caution. Breaking that caution would mean formal charges.
Doctorates are indeed on public record and if Walter claims content locked for security reasons, believe me that work of fiction would have never been seen by anyone, academic or otherwise. He is far to young to have any real status in his claimed professions. I have a close friend who is being treated for sociopathic behaviour and it is exhausting. These people can be charming but it is all about the game. You have to say 'you carry on mate, but you will end up in prison'. I hope to God he doesn't have children. Please take the advice of the PP and say you are awaiting paperwork on his firm's legal claim. It will never come.

Yes - that was "true" as far anything can be true that is said by a fictional character.

It was more the long list of jobs she said she had in a short working life - a BBC executive and and PA to a major film star are the two I remember, but I am sure there were more. Did she also have a thing with Nigel Havers too? I was referring to her as she also seemed to have crammed a lot of hight powered jobs and relationships into a relatively short life, and was currently working in an amusement arcade and living in a mobile home. The difference between what she said and what she was doing was what amused me. I am not sure her age was ever mentioned, but I assumed she was a similar age to Stacey.

I see, it's a very difficult situation. Our Walter has Munchausen's (I believe it's called something else now) and the stories he made up were benign on the whole.

This sounds.like a very different situation as he is obviously capable of conning people and harassing people. Try not to let the BS get to you, it's all utter crap. If his partner wants to believe it then she can crack on with that. You know that none of it is true.

The company won't sue you. Can your relative get the cameras fixed and have any valuables stored at the bank?

I think his luck will run out, the stories are so extreme. Keep any messages etc for evidence going forward but use the 'grey rock' technique.

I think he would’ve manipulated her into doing what she did under the guise of really helping him out. He got her to access confidential info and leak it, the records will have a digital footprint (hopefully she did it with someone else’s log ins ) but it was to help him cover up one of his other lies that was about to backfire on him. She’d have done it out of love and manipulation due to the risks of what she did. Heart breaks for her.

i wish I could tell you in detail of a pint (of wine, we’d need it) because this is just the tip of the iceberg and the depths he goes to. The truth is he’s a predator and needs to be kept away from people, this will only escalate and someone is going to get seriously hurt (but it’s never him). He reminds me for joe Goldberg in that sense. He’s a young man, at some point he’ll have kids and I’d fear for them, I’d fear for anyone he marries because he will abuse them

the valuables is along the lines of jewellery, mostly in a safe, but he’s impressive. Broke into it before, must’ve watched for a while to get the code and stole 10k worth of jewellery.
most money is in the bank, im not too sure what he could be trying to get? But it’s too much of a coincidence for it to be anyone else.

im getting cameras put up high in a place they can’t be tampered with without a massive ladder and that’s not exactly subtle but it’s not until next month, soonest date. It’s the interim and the fact he’s being invited to the property and another property the person owns to help clear out, a previous incident of helping led to someone attempting to drain a few accounts and him asking suspicious personal questions.., god only knows what happens this time.

but he’s so manipulative that he’s managed to convince this relative that it’s his ex doing this and now this relative wants to drive the whole leaked confidential info to make her pay

Sounds as BS as the qualifications.

Also to sue someone for millions, you have to have millions. One cannot magic millions just because they are being sued.

In his scenario it was his company suing me… for millions because of the potential reputational damage and according to his new partner I need to keep my mouth shut! Because I’ll have to declare bankruptcy and I need to be concerned about my kids

Oh, NOW I remember this relative!

Here's the thing. There are none so blind as those who will not see, and that sounds like your entire family! I guess at this point all you can do is to write down a 'timeline' of 'Walter's' alleged education and 'experience'. Events that would have taken over 2 decades to accomplish (unless you were Sheldon Cooper) but that he has done in, what, 12 years (assuming from age 18 to 30)? Present it to your family, including the relative now being bamboozled, one last time with a stern warning that you will NOT be bailing any of them out, legally or financially, if they get caught up in Walter's machinations. And that you do NOT want to hear one word more about him and his goings on. The time has come to stop trying to protect everyone else and to start protecting yourself. You will have told your truth, you can do no more.

And in future if they started in with his 'accomplishments' I would terminate the conversation or get up and leave. And I would refuse to be anywhere that Walter was, even if it means foregoing family occasions. It's just not worth the mental frustration it puts you through. Sort of 'out of sight (and hearing), out of mind'.

It's hard to take such a tough stance and also a shame about the elderly relative who is now being taken advantage of but other than informing the police and possibly alerting whatever agency in the UK that protects the vulnerable elderly, there is really nothing more you can do. Unless and until that relative either stops believing or becomes non compos mentis, they are 'entitled' by law to be foolish.

Providing he hasn't conned his way into the job, he'd just say someone else has fraudulently created the LinkedIn profile in his name.

What line of work does he claim to be in roughly? Any evidence of him using the money he's got his hands on? I'm wondering if he's got a gambling problem or is involved in organised criminality in some way. Anyway - either go to the police with your suspicions or distance yourself from him completely.

Military defence

there’s no hard evidence, it’s more of the fact that despite working for minimum wage in a pub (at the same time he was claiming to be a senior intelligence officer) he made several elaborate and expensive purchases that would be very very difficult for a person in that position to fund, £300k house 80% ltv (bought with ex and provided 50% deposit, so at least 30k) proposed 1 carat ring, easy £5k, brand new car on pcp down payment easily couple of k there and then a big big expensive wedding (cancelled last minute after ex found out his lies) 200 guests, gorgeous venue… all paid up, easily £20k and split50/50.

im pretty sure he used the im a snr rank in the navy and need some cash to help me get started to get money out of a relative who then died. That relative was very unwell, and their illness wasn’t diagnosed until too late to save them but it rendered them easily confused. That relative was very very generous and fairly wealthy and loved Walter dearly and desperately wanted to see Walter make something of himself. Walter exploited that

Was he in the naval reserves? Other than that can’t see how he managed to become a senior naval officer without going to Dartmouth and spending time at sea, all while holding down a minimum wage job and doing a Phd.

I imagine the cash for house deposit, car and ring was from money he’s liberated from gullible relatives.

To work in the Defence industry will mean vetting (can’t believe a prospective employer wouldn’t check qualifications and references) and signing the Official Secrets Act.

No he wasn’t in the reserves he said he was fast tracked to snr lieutenant commander based on the highest test scores that they’d ever seen. He then went to m16… again fast tracked and was taken into the anti terrorism force. Despite 0 experience in this area

so I think his company has vetted him and he’s been genuine about his actual qualifications to them or else he’d be rumbled as like you said that they won’t play around. It’s to family and friends he’s lying. So I think he works there but he’s claiming his snr leadership when in reality he probably has a n entry level role.

Could you phone the company and say you need to contact him and ask for his job title?

Lots of good advice OP. No company will try to take your house. They have to win a defamation case first and show damage. That is only awarded for loss. I can't see where any company would lose out by you questioning their recruitment process. If they bought a pup it's not your fault. Your relative is saying you are damaging their reputation by questioning their appointment of him is talking bollocks. The courts don't have time for such nonsense. This wouldn't even make for a listing to be heard. It has no merit.
A bet you he has been googling law reviews! Even big film stars lose these type of cases. Think Depp.
You could try the glad you are doing well etc response. I hope this isn't the same character who was claiming a cancer diagnosis the other week?

Surprisingly no that wasn’t him. He’s the Walter Mitty who’s cheated dying people out of money but not pretended he’s got cancer

i am assiming this must be a brother (or maybe cousin) and he is deceiving your parents - though surely they know that he wasn't in the navy? they have zero evidence of that and anyone in the navy would have some evidence of it - photos of passing out cermonies or something. So if you know he was working in a pub, how does anyone else not know?

the whole thing doesn't add up - it sounds daft that the entire family believes this liar who has done 50 things before 30 - a naval career AND a phd? when they know he left school young with only a btec.

if the family are truly that gullible, for your own sanity (and many threads here about this person), just leave them all be. he will get all the inheritance (if any left) so best to accept that now.

i really could not have a normal relationship with family who are totally deluded by such a person (assuming they are compos mentas, but if not, you need to contact police about elder abuse)

My brother was in the Navy, a Chief Engineer, he had really good job but not as prestigious as a Senior Lieutenant Commander but even he had to go to Naval College and earn his tickets.
There’s no way a Senior Lieutenant Commander would be fast tracked to the top without spending time at Naval college no matter how intelligent he is. Has he ever spent time at sea?

What a shocking story OP, as they say you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family. It must be so upsetting to watch people being taken in by Walter.

Just wondering if maybe it might be worth getting in touch, confidentially of course, with a journalist who has written articles about fantasists before?

I just had a quick google there and came across a few stories, it was easy enough to find contact info for the journalists.

The 'Walter Mittys': Why do some people pose as heroes?
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38085998
Writer: Jon Kelly BBC Email [email protected]

'Walter Mitty' fantasist conned woman he met on Tinder to get loans and credit
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/walter-mitty-fantasist-conned-woman-17578896
Writer: Jason Evans Twitter: https://twitter.com/EvansTheCrime Email [email protected]

'Walter Mitty' Syrian cook and Romanian delivery driver strangled millionairess, 71, with a hairdryer cord then dumped her body in a wheelie bin in £4.6m scam to steal her life savings
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11654297/Syrian-cook-Romanian-delivery-driver-strangled-millionairess-71-hairdryer-cord.html
Writer: Laurence Dollimore Email [email protected]

To work in the Defence industry will mean vetting (can’t believe a prospective employer wouldn’t check qualifications and references) and signing the Official Secrets Act.

You can work in the wider "defence industry" without vetting or signing the OSA. It is entirely down to the organisation your employed by and your role and position. Most people working in the defence industry are not vetted because most jobs in the industry are just as inconsequential as they are in any other industry.

I can hardly believe what I've just read, but sadly in another sense it's all too believable. I'm just so sorry that people have been conned/swindled/exploited by this guy. Must be really tough having someone like this in your family, OP.

So they know he worked in a pub, it was their local, so they saw him there. But he was claiming he was joining the navy at this snr rank and they’d given him his epaulettes before hand as a favour to show this dying relative. He brought other props, like a t shirt that said navy, army style boots that would be caked in mud and a medal… He’d been claiming he was going through training all and anti terror conferences prior to his commendation ceremony this was tail end of the pandemic so he was saying graduations are delayed and pushed back due to pandemic.

the quals are a recent delusion that I discovered through his linked in and confronted him and he’s doubled down

We went on a catamaran on a large family holiday as pre teens… that’s the extent of his seamanship, maybe the ferry to France too

I can’t lie, I really hope his ex partner reads this thread and creates a MN one and a journalist picks it up

Is there actually a naval rank of Senior Lieutenant Commander? The RN website shows Lieutenant Commander, but not Senior LC.