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[snitch]

I'm a long-time forumite, a regular to this section, posting under a new moniker because I'm contemplating a course of action that I wouldn't want to be connected to my regular identity here. 

Some of you might have seen the story in the THE this week on Mark Brake: article here.  He submitted a grant application a few years ago in which he claimed, falsely, to have a PhD.  His university (Glamorgan) apparently gave him a slap on the wrist. 

I think it's clear as daylight that actions like this constitute fraud under England/Wales law.  (One of the commentators below the article text makes this point and gives the text of the relevant law: fraud by false representation.)  I am wondering whether there are potential negative consequences for me if I approach the police and make a complaint of some sort and request that they investigate Brake for fraud.  I have no standing in the matter: I haven't been harmed, I'm not a colleague of his, I'm not even in Wales -- so perhaps I'm not even qualified to make a complaint.  And I wouldn't want to open myself to a libel action if it works out that the THE got the story wrong somehow. 

Is it too much of a risk to proceed with this? 

[babbinacara]

Thanks for the link; I hadn't seen it. Interesting.

Before thinking about the risk, I would ask what you wish as an outcome, or what your motivation might be.
Would it be to have Brake thrown out of his job and blacklisted from any other? Or to prevent the cheapening of the PhD degree from Cardiff or in general? Or?
Are you willing to (and should you) invest time in this when the REF is looming? There is risk there.

The situation does make me furious enough that I can see where you're coming from, but will making a complaint/initiating a lawsuit be worth the potential time and energy haemorrhage?

[empyrean_aisles]

I also wanted to say thanks for the link. (And, I don't want to derail this thread, but I did note with some glee that our friend Pyshnov has now taken up residence on the THE comment boards and is peddling his fabulously verbose brand of crazy over there too now:

The marihuana generation are smart people; they are especially smart when they play naive but astonishingly self-confident Snoopies.

Good times.

</derail>

[doctorhu]

I agree that the actions of Dr Mr Brake sound quite shady, and I understand why this story would annoy you. Therefore please do not take this question as hostile : What would be the point of doing this, and how can it do anything other than harm your own standing in your university?

I ask because I suspect that if someone in my department were to randomly file a criminal complaint against someone they had read about on the internet and had had no actual contact with, they could easily be perceived as having way too much time on their hands (in the best case) or as a complete nutter (in the worst case). 

If you were to do this, it would be a very good idea to have a reply to the question "shouldn't you be concentrating on your teaching and research?" well rehearsed in advance.

[lizzy]

I can see why you would find this troublesome and want to do something about it. But I'd respectfully suggest that if you are not directly involved, you might not be right the person to take action in this case.

The article says he works for a university, right? Let that uni, or someone related, file charges.

If his lie hasn't directly influenced you or hurt you in some way, I don't see why you would file charges. And I agree that if you do, you should be prepared to answer to your own school about how you're spending your time.