Lying about your university on your CV - who checks?
I'm thinking about putting down on my CV a highly regarded institution as having completed a Masters there despite having never physically attended.
Do employers really phone up the university and ask? When I got my current job they didn't ask for a photocopy of my uni certificate either.
The truth though is a bit stranger than fiction. I was the ghostwriter that passed the Masters course for an otherwise incapable student. So I feel a sense of "moral ownership" of the Masters and I have as much skills and knowledge as someone who was formally on the course. The student I passed it for has none, obviously.
Do employers really phone up the university and ask? When I got my current job they didn't ask for a photocopy of my uni certificate either.
The truth though is a bit stranger than fiction. I was the ghostwriter that passed the Masters course for an otherwise incapable student. So I feel a sense of "moral ownership" of the Masters and I have as much skills and knowledge as someone who was formally on the course. The student I passed it for has none, obviously.
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You'll get found out eventually one way or another and then I'm pretty sure they're able to do you for fraud. Don't do it.
Original post by tory88
Some employers will check, some won't. But be aware that being found out opens you up to criminal action.
Oh really? What's the law on it called, never heard about it before.
Don't risk it. Lying never leads to good consequences..
Original post by thisistheend
Oh really? What's the law on it called, never heard about it before.
fraud i believe
Original post by thisistheend
Oh really? What's the law on it called, never heard about it before.
I'm pretty sure it comes under the fraud act 2006, although could be wrong.
Original post by thisistheend
I'm thinking about putting down on my CV a highly regarded institution as having completed a Masters there despite having never physically attended.
Do employers really phone up the university and ask? When I got my current job they didn't ask for a photocopy of my uni certificate either.
The truth though is a bit stranger than fiction. I was the ghostwriter that passed the Masters course for an otherwise incapable student. So I feel a sense of "moral ownership" of the Masters and I have as much skills and knowledge as someone who was formally on the course. The student I passed it for has none, obviously.
Do employers really phone up the university and ask? When I got my current job they didn't ask for a photocopy of my uni certificate either.
The truth though is a bit stranger than fiction. I was the ghostwriter that passed the Masters course for an otherwise incapable student. So I feel a sense of "moral ownership" of the Masters and I have as much skills and knowledge as someone who was formally on the course. The student I passed it for has none, obviously.
You mean you were the scribe? Or do you mean you were literally the brains and the words and independent thought of the entire masters course? Because I cannot believe that. That is not what scribing is, and if you think that 'obviously' the student who required a scribe has no skills or knowledge of the course they too attended for a year, you're a little wrong, no?
For example, my boyfriend follows a boy with cerebral palsy through his politics degree. He scribes for him, reads for him sometimes, etc. This doesn't mean he has studied politics, no matter what he could tell you from the client's last essay. Apologies if I have misunderstood your meaning and it isn't actually offensive to those who need assistance taking part in typical degrees.
(edited 10 years ago)
Yes, employers can check if they want to.
"Telling porkies on one's CV is enough of a concern for the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills to partner with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and Universities UK to launch an online service that allows employers to check candidates' qualifications.
The Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD) claims to already have all 165 publicly-funded universities and colleges in the UK on board."
(Source)
And, yes you could be prosecuted if they followed it up and found out you lied. Here's an article of a woman done for Fraud for lying on her CV.
http://careers.theguardian.com/careers-blog/no-need-to-lie-on-your-cv-steve-szita
"Telling porkies on one's CV is enough of a concern for the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills to partner with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and Universities UK to launch an online service that allows employers to check candidates' qualifications.
The Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD) claims to already have all 165 publicly-funded universities and colleges in the UK on board."
(Source)
And, yes you could be prosecuted if they followed it up and found out you lied. Here's an article of a woman done for Fraud for lying on her CV.
http://careers.theguardian.com/careers-blog/no-need-to-lie-on-your-cv-steve-szita
Original post by awe
You mean you were the scribe? Or do you mean you were literally the brains and the words and independent thought of the entire masters course? Because I cannot believe that. That is not what scribing is, and if you think that 'obviously' the student who required a scribe has no skills or knowledge of the course they too attended for a year, you're a little wrong, no?
For example, my boyfriend follows a boy with cerebral palsy through his politics degree. He scribes for him, reads for him sometimes, etc. This doesn't mean he has studied politics, no matter what he could tell you from the client's last essay. Apologies if I have misunderstood your meaning and it isn't actually offensive to those who need assistance taking part in typical degrees.
For example, my boyfriend follows a boy with cerebral palsy through his politics degree. He scribes for him, reads for him sometimes, etc. This doesn't mean he has studied politics, no matter what he could tell you from the client's last essay. Apologies if I have misunderstood your meaning and it isn't actually offensive to those who need assistance taking part in typical degrees.
I wrote every assignment, prepared every presentation and completed the final dissertation undertaking original research.
I learnt everything and got paid for it. They learnt nothing.
Original post by thisistheend
I wrote every assignment, prepared every presentation and completed the final dissertation undertaking original research.
I learnt everything and got paid for it. They learnt nothing.
I learnt everything and got paid for it. They learnt nothing.
You still didn't really specify - do you honestly mean you, away from this student and entirely independently, undertook each assignment yourself from A to B? He didn't sit there and tell you what he wanted the essay to say and you wrote down, perhaps paraphrasing and embellishing naturally as he went?
Original post by awe
You still didn't really specify - do you honestly mean you, away from this student and entirely independently, undertook each assignment yourself from A to B? He didn't sit there and tell you what he wanted the essay to say and you wrote down, perhaps paraphrasing and embellishing naturally as he went?
lol no. i independently and originally completed everything that a Masters student should have done, save from enrolling and physically attending at the institution. I wasn't even living or working in the same city as the university so got all the materials electronically and sent the completed work to the student, who had a very relaxing year I'm sure.
Depends on what degree and what institution lol.
Original post by thisistheend
lol no. i independently and originally completed everything that a Masters student should have done. I wasn't even living or working in the same city as the university so got all the materials electronically and sent the completed work to the student, who had a very relaxing year I'm sure.
Haha, ok. I can only assume this is illegal and would have been stopped and even fined if realised by whatever authorities? And if that is the case, then you knew exactly what you were doing. I suppose what that student did contribute to the masters was the money, and that's what gets the degree at the end of the day. It's simply up to you if you risk the fraud, you unfortunately don't have any real rights to the degree... I believe that some will check certificates.
I can imagine this being a very good film - you claimed the masters, applied to your dream job, your dream employer checked the details and found out you had lied, is enraged and disappointed as loved you otherwise... a court case ensues which you fight bitterly because the knowledge was all yours. You win, are awarded the masters and get your dream job and woman (somehow that happened too), congrats! Unfortunately... it's real life. But wouldn't that be/probably is a fun film.
Just apply for a company which has no HR department. Simples.
Short answer, yes. Besides, as a recent graduate you will often be expected to provide a reference from your most recent place of study.
He never said he was a scribe. He said he was a ghostwriter, which indicates he actually wrote the essays and thesis for the student (they were his work, not the student's).
Normally a student support worker wouldn't be asked to support a postgraduate student unless they had a Masters degree themselves.
It's perfectly clear what he means. He means he did the student's work for him. Like those essay writing services.
It was clearly a student who was struggling with the work (not necessarily due to illness or disability) and needed someone to do the work for him).
That's if he's telling the truth.
Original post by awe
You mean you were the scribe? Or do you mean you were literally the brains and the words and independent thought of the entire masters course? Because I cannot believe that. That is not what scribing is, and if you think that 'obviously' the student who required a scribe has no skills or knowledge of the course they too attended for a year, you're a little wrong, no?
For example, my boyfriend follows a boy with cerebral palsy through his politics degree. He scribes for him, reads for him sometimes, etc. This doesn't mean he has studied politics, no matter what he could tell you from the client's last essay. Apologies if I have misunderstood your meaning and it isn't actually offensive to those who need assistance taking part in typical degrees.
For example, my boyfriend follows a boy with cerebral palsy through his politics degree. He scribes for him, reads for him sometimes, etc. This doesn't mean he has studied politics, no matter what he could tell you from the client's last essay. Apologies if I have misunderstood your meaning and it isn't actually offensive to those who need assistance taking part in typical degrees.
He never said he was a scribe. He said he was a ghostwriter, which indicates he actually wrote the essays and thesis for the student (they were his work, not the student's).
Normally a student support worker wouldn't be asked to support a postgraduate student unless they had a Masters degree themselves.
Original post by awe
You still didn't really specify - do you honestly mean you, away from this student and entirely independently, undertook each assignment yourself from A to B? He didn't sit there and tell you what he wanted the essay to say and you wrote down, perhaps paraphrasing and embellishing naturally as he went?
It's perfectly clear what he means. He means he did the student's work for him. Like those essay writing services.
It was clearly a student who was struggling with the work (not necessarily due to illness or disability) and needed someone to do the work for him).
That's if he's telling the truth.
Original post by thisistheend
lol no. i independently and originally completed everything that a Masters student should have done, save from enrolling and physically attending at the institution. I wasn't even living or working in the same city as the university so got all the materials electronically and sent the completed work to the student, who had a very relaxing year I'm sure.
Maybe I'm asking a dumb question here.... but, if you wanted the masters so badly, then why didn't you do it yourself?
Original post by River85
Short answer, yes. Besides, as a recent graduate you will often be expected to provide a reference from your most recent place of study.
He never said he was a scribe. He said he was a ghostwriter, which indicates he actually wrote the essays and thesis for the student (they were his work, not the student's).
Normally a student support worker wouldn't be asked to support a postgraduate student unless they had a Masters degree themselves.
It's perfectly clear what he means. He means he did the student's work for him. Like those essay writing services.
It was clearly a student who was struggling with the work (not necessarily due to illness or disability) and needed someone to do the work for him).
That's if he's telling the truth.
He never said he was a scribe. He said he was a ghostwriter, which indicates he actually wrote the essays and thesis for the student (they were his work, not the student's).
Normally a student support worker wouldn't be asked to support a postgraduate student unless they had a Masters degree themselves.
It's perfectly clear what he means. He means he did the student's work for him. Like those essay writing services.
It was clearly a student who was struggling with the work (not necessarily due to illness or disability) and needed someone to do the work for him).
That's if he's telling the truth.
I did instantly assume his description of the unable student was down to disability, perhaps because of my own connection to that situation, hence the questioning. I honestly have also not come across a real ghostwriter in this manner before and would previously/still find it hard to imagine it's real as it seems a bit ridiculous to me. Which is perhaps a naive thought, I'll admit that. I'm very accustomed to scribe work and have come across someone who believed they were 'doing' the work by scribing as they were, which I find quite offensive to the student. I did say in my first comment that I apologise if I misunderstood - which I suppose I did, so the apology was issued. (;
Original post by Quantex
Maybe I'm asking a dumb question here.... but, if you wanted the masters so badly, then why didn't you do it yourself?
Original post by Liamnut
If you're really capable of doing the masters degree, here's an idea... Do it.
Not everyone has access to a masters degree or the opportunity to do one. I imagine there are very many people 'capable' of doing any number of degrees... doesn't mean they are able to or will ever manage to do them, usually for monetary reasons.
(edited 10 years ago)
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