Fake construction certificates circulating in Victoria threaten site safety
Investigations reveal a widespread scheme selling fraudulent building-industry qualifications in Victoria, exposing workers and the public to unsafe sites.
An extensive fraud network has been providing fake construction-industry qualifications across Victoria’s Big Build projects, raising serious safety concerns for workers and the public. The scheme, operating for about four years, allegedly involves the sale of counterfeit certificates for traffic management and elevated-platform work in informal settings like car parks. Jack Younes, a former NSTA franchise employee, and a former CFMEU health-and-safety delegate linked to an underworld figure are among those accused of distributing the falsified credentials.
Multiple warnings were sent to WorkSafe Victoria, the Australian Skills Quality Authority and the Victorian Department of Transport, yet no substantive follow-up has been reported. Victoria Police’s Taskforce Hawk has informed regulators of the ongoing racket, and a WorkSafe spokesperson confirmed inquiries are underway to assess any occupational-health impact. The alleged scale of the fraud could involve thousands of certificates, putting numerous sites at risk of injury or death.
Why it matters
Fake qualifications jeopardize construction safety and could lead to injuries or fatalities on major public projects.
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