A conman found to be selling fake certificates for qualifications online was fined and sentenced to 80 hours unpaid work on 14 January 2015
A conman found to be selling fake certificates for qualifications online was sentenced on 14 January. The individual was sentenced to 80 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £567.97, including a £60 victim surcharge, after knowingly selling fake certificates for qualifications.
He also illegally used Ofqual’s and exam boards’ branding and logos to make the certificates seem more likely to be genuine.
Ofqual discovered this website and investigated. We monitored conversations online and purchased a number of certificates. We also discovered the address linked to the website and referred the matter to Trading Standards officers there at Darlington Borough Council. We contacted all the exam boards involved for them to take necessary action.
Michelle Meadows, Executive Director for Strategy, Risk & Research at Ofqual said:
Chris McEwan, Darlington Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration said: