Get your certificate easily! Knowledge? Who needs that?
Tags: certificates, fraud, scam
Published: 2023-04-02 13:23:37

---
title: Get your certificate easily! Knowledge? Who needs that?
published: true
description: Real case of certification fraud
tags: #certificates #fraud #scam
cover_image: https://www.pawelpiwosz.net/assets/covers/fraud.jpg
---

# Background

Let me first explain, how I see certificates today. I already published my text about it some time ago and honestly speaking, my opinion now is even stronger. You can find this text [here](https://medium.com/@pawel.piwosz/certificates-certificates-c7cff03fbb13). But shortly - I am not a fan of pass exams for just passing the exams. And potentially list numbers of certs in LinkedIn profile :) Certification should be a knowledge AND experience confirmation.

# The story

This story begins some time ago, when I read a post on LinkedIn about offer to pass certification exam on behalf of someone. It was quite hard to believe, but I was not THAT surprised. In fact, I saw many "interesting" things during technical interviews when I did an evaluation of the candidates.

What makes me somehow happy (I know how it sounds) is the growing consiousness of the real value of certifications. Especially for those people who collects them. For example, I saw no so long ago someone who has more than 60 certificates. I mean, really???

Anyway, let's come back to the main line of the story.

# An offer

I received an offer. An offer which can be treated as kind of scam or try to get my sensitive data, but I know that something like that might be genuine.

So, I get an offer to achieve any certificate I want. Easily. With 100% of success rate. No, not very extensive trainings provided by best of the bests. Just pass the exam with 100% success.

Great, right?

Sounds like a fraud? It should!

![Conversation starts](https://www.pawelpiwosz.net/assets/fraudcert/Clipboard01.jpg)

So, first of all - yeah, I really believe, you are the real person, Adria. Second... It doesn't smell that much yet... Right?

Oh, don't be naive :)

Anyway, *yeah, of course, I WANT THEM ALL!*

![We wants them!](https://www.pawelpiwosz.net/assets/fraudcert/meme.jpg)

So, I decided to continue this game. 

What is interesting though, I am AWS Community builder, I have (or should I say - I had :) ) a few of certificates and what you can easily see on my LinkedIn profile (at least, I hope it is :D) I have *some* knowledge about AWS.

So, I answered to "Adria"

![Conversation continues](https://www.pawelpiwosz.net/assets/fraudcert/Clipboard02.jpg)

Looks like Adria is very eager to help me, the answer was instant.

Considering what I told you just a few lines above, I asked about AWS certifications.

![Conversation continues](https://www.pawelpiwosz.net/assets/fraudcert/Clipboard03.jpg)

Now, of course there is nothing said that they will **cheat** on my behalf. But I believe this conclusion is more than obvious.

![Conversation ends](https://www.pawelpiwosz.net/assets/fraudcert/Clipboard04.jpg)

I said on the end that I report this wherever I can. I decided to leave the name and phone number uncovered as this is **scam**, **fraud** and something what brings the industry down. I have no wish to see something like this on the market.

I hope that AWS, Microsoft, GCP, to name the few here finally will find a solution to remove these cheaters from the landscape.

# Sad bucket of cold water

I reported this person to LinkedIn. Sad thing is, LinkedIn doesn't see anything inapropriate here so far. I hope this will change too.