27th July 2026
Construction Industry Qualification Cheats Caught
The leader of a gang which helped over 70 delegates cheat their way through various Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) qualifications has been jailed for 2 years and 8 months.
This comes after delegates were found to be concealing Bluetooth headphones beneath those ‘over-ear’ sets provided by training companies.
Scam
The gang would charge fees of up to £850 to delegates looking to cheat their way through a course.
Initially, the delegate would request ‘voiceover’ access arrangements from the training company, allowing them to listen to questions through headphones supplied by the trainer.
They would then conceal a ‘cheat phone’ in the waistband of their underwear and slip a pair of ‘in-ear’ Bluetooth headphones on under the set provided by the training company.
A gang member could then listen in to the training session, fielding the questions themselves and providing the answers back to the candidate.
Convicted
The CITB alerted police to suspicious behaviour at an independent test centre in Winchester.
After investigations involving CCTV footage and mobile phone location and call data, police raided properties in both Winchester and Southampton, seizing cash and electronic devices.
Arrests were made, with the suspects detained on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud.
The gang leader was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, with 2 accomplices handed suspended sentences for intentionally engaging or assisting in fraud by misrepresentation under the Fraud Act 2006.
Concern for Site Employers
The actions of the gang undermined the integrity of the CITB and the Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS), which provide construction site workers with evidence of their knowledge and understanding of health and safety matters for their trade.
Out of sheer desperation, some delegates have seen the only way to guarantee paid employment is to cheat their way through the qualification exams.
This undermines site safety, putting everybody on that site at risk.
CITB and CSCS are working through the relevant test candidates to identify those who may have obtained their qualifications through this method.
Appoint Lighthouse As Your Health & Safety Competent Person
The competent person role does not have to be fulfilled internally within every company. You can, therefore, outsource the appointment to a contractor or consultancy with the necessary qualifications and experience.
