Engineers PEI is investigating a case of unauthorized engineering practice involving someone holding themselves out as a Mr. James Williams. Mr. Williams claims to be a Professional Engineer (PE) based in California who engages professional engineers across Canada to provide engineering services on a freelance basis. A contractor hired him to provide engineering services in PEI, NB and NS using the Upwork website. There is another similar website called Fiverr.
The case centers on forged engineering documents used for a residential project in Stratford, PEI which included the unauthorized use of a legitimate engineer’s stamp and signature. The deception was uncovered in Nova Scotia when a building inspector contacted an engineer in Nova Scotia about a project.
Preliminary findings suggest Mr. Williams may have operated similarly in other provinces. Measures are also being taken to mitigate public risk and ensure proper authentication of the affected project. The engineer in PEI has been notified and the town where the fraudulent stamp was used has been notified.
This case reinforces the utility of encrypted digital signatures as available through Notarius, to safeguard electronic images of stamps and signatures (details on the Engineers PEI website here).
If you, or anyone you know, has been in contact with or engaged the services of Mr. Williams, please contact Kim at info@engineerspei.com