Fraudulent Engineering

[johnv2340]

Hello,

I know this is rarely encountered but I would like input from anyone who has come across something like this before or has some good advice to offer. I am a registered electrical P.E. in the state of California. I was contacted by someone looking for engineering services to add a number of meters for EV chargers in a large highrise condominium. Everything was very informal and he mentioned getting me on a retainer of $10K once this project got more involved. He mentioned that there were other highrise buildings in the area that he was in negotiations with as well.

I put together a preliminary set of drawings showing proposed meter locations, existing single line diagrams, load schedule, feeders, etc. The purpose was to get enough information put down on plans to get a meeting with the power company since it required alterations to the main service. A digital picture of my stamp and signature were placed on the drawings sent to the utility service planner. At this point the job dragged on for nearly a year without much progress. I was asked to perform more work at which point I declined, stating that I had not been paid for any of the work I had done to date. It was the last I heard from him.

Yesterday, over two years from the last correspondence, I get a call from someone asking about a job I engineered. Not recognizing the address I had him forward me the plans so I could review. Someone had taken my original preliminary drawings, meant specifically to coordinate with the power company, added some additional load calculations and submitted them to plan check, with my digital stamp and signature. They also removed my title block that included “Preliminary Drawings for DWP Service Planning” and added their own. Somehow they managed to get my incomplete set of electrical drawings approved by the city and are using them as permitted construction drawings. Needless to say that I am in shock and looking into filing a complaint with the P.E. board.

If anyone is remotely familiar with a situation like this and has some advice it would be appreciated.

-J

 

[charlie b]

Contact the PE board immediately. Then come back and read the rest of my answer.

I have never encountered this before. It goes beyond the simple act of practicing engineering without a license. This is criminal activity; someone needs to go to jail.

Please let us know how this progresses.

 

[Jraef]

Aside from the PE board, you should immediately inform the City that the PE stamp was fraudulent. They should shut down the project immediately. Now that you know, if you do nothing, you become complicit by negligence to inform. I'm not a PE but I worked as a partner with one for years. This happens more than you would like to know.

 

[charlie b]

Oh, and two things I forgot to mention:

1. I am also a CA PE, and am deeply concerned by this criminal act.
2. Welcome to the forum.

 

[ron]

In this world of digital plans via PDF, it is too easy.

Sorry it happened, but the advice given was right on, advise the State Board (although who would they go after since no one else stamp is there ...) and the Building Dept.

 

[drcampbell]

Also inform the property owner.

 

[petersonra]

Also inform the property owner.

I would start with the PE board and ask them what they suggest. the PE board may want to keep it quiet so as to not disturb any investigation.

I am surprised at how brazen this is but I guess these days anything can happen.

If nothing else you learned never to do any work without either a check or a P.O. in hand.

 

[ggunn]

Take this to the PE board first, but make sure that all parties are informed that your stamp was fraudulently used. Always flatten a pdf so that your stamp and signature cannot be extracted other than by a bitmap scan. In a case like this I would also put a low contrast "PRELIMINARY" across/behind my stamp.

Once I had an office manager ask me for my computer password so that he could affix my stamp to some drawings while I was out on vacation. Um, no way in hell, and my computer will be locked up while I am gone.

 

[johnv2340]

Thank you all for the replies, I called the board yesterday and was instructed to file a complaint via the form. Not looking forward to what happens next but it has to be done.

 

[Electric-Light]

I think it would be a good idea to send a notarized letter, certified mail to the city department that approved it putting them on the alert you were not retained as their engineer.

Everyone spewing BS and so much BS talks and everything is starting to look more like theonion. It wouldn't surprise me if scammers these days are thinking about counterfeiting quarters and one dollar bills.

 

[Ingenieur]

Get a lawyer to contact him
notify the city of fraudulent submission
did you invoice him?
do you have anything in writing?
transmittals? Emails sent with the pdf's?
a services agreement?

NEVER do work without an agreement

he will argue you gave him sealed dwgs
it is no more than a civil matter re: payment

 

[johnv2340]

Get a lawyer to contact him
notify the city of fraudulent submission
did you invoice him?
do you have anything in writing?
transmittals? Emails sent with the pdf's?
a services agreement?

NEVER do work without an agreement

he will argue you gave him sealed dwgs
it is no more than a civil matter re: payment

I've already contacted the inspector for the job regarding the fraudulent drawings, since he's the electrical contractor for the project he'll find out soon enough. However lawyers may still be necessary. To answer your questions:

1. No, never invoiced him.
2. I have emails detailing the drawings being put together for DWP. When he asked me to modify the preliminary drawings and proceed with a full design I declined, also documented in an email.
3. The preliminary drawings that were sent to him, which he sent to DWP, were in PDF format. This is where he must have had a screenshot of my stamp and signature.

I know, it was stupid to do this without an agreement.

 

[Ingenieur]

I've already contacted the inspector for the job regarding the fraudulent drawings, since he's the electrical contractor for the project he'll find out soon enough. However lawyers may still be necessary. To answer your questions:

1. No, never invoiced him.
2. I have emails detailing the drawings being put together for DWP. When he asked me to modify the preliminary drawings and proceed with a full design I declined, also documented in an email.
3. The preliminary drawings that were sent to him, which he sent to DWP, were in PDF format. This is where he must have had a screenshot of my stamp and signature.

I know, it was stupid to do this without an agreement.

not your fault
you trusted him
he turned out to be a choad
hope it works out

 

[GoldDigger]

This sort of thing is one reason to use the Adobe locking feature for PDFs which can disable editing as well as copying from the document.
It is, however, almost impossible to prevent image scraping from a displayed image of the PDF.
That is where watermark overlays are useful.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[rbalex]

I'm also a CA PE. The BORPLES has a fraud investigation department and formal complaint system. It bothers me that your signature was not invalidated automatically when the drawings were revised.

 

[GoldDigger]

... It bothers me that your signature was not invalidated automatically when the drawings were revised.

That invalidation should happen with a cryptographic digital signature of a PDF, but is not possible with a simple digital ink image.
The OP did not describe the type of signature involved.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[Fulthrotl]

Hello,

I know this is rarely encountered but I would like input from anyone who has come across something like this before or has some good advice to offer. I am a registered electrical P.E. in the state of California. I was contacted by someone looking for engineering services to add a number of meters for EV chargers in a large highrise condominium. Everything was very informal and he mentioned getting me on a retainer of $10K once this project got more involved. He mentioned that there were other highrise buildings in the area that he was in negotiations with as well.

I put together a preliminary set of drawings showing proposed meter locations, existing single line diagrams, load schedule, feeders, etc. The purpose was to get enough information put down on plans to get a meeting with the power company since it required alterations to the main service. A digital picture of my stamp and signature were placed on the drawings sent to the utility service planner. At this point the job dragged on for nearly a year without much progress. I was asked to perform more work at which point I declined, stating that I had not been paid for any of the work I had done to date. It was the last I heard from him.

Yesterday, over two years from the last correspondence, I get a call from someone asking about a job I engineered. Not recognizing the address I had him forward me the plans so I could review. Someone had taken my original preliminary drawings, meant specifically to coordinate with the power company, added some additional load calculations and submitted them to plan check, with my digital stamp and signature. They also removed my title block that included “Preliminary Drawings for DWP Service Planning” and added their own. Somehow they managed to get my incomplete set of electrical drawings approved by the city and are using them as permitted construction drawings. Needless to say that I am in shock and looking into filing a complaint with the P.E. board.

If anyone is remotely familiar with a situation like this and has some advice it would be appreciated.

-J

find out the contractor who permitted the job.
B-1 or C-10, doesn't matter. get the license number

go here to look up the pertinent bonding info:

https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/checklicense.aspx

now, check the bonding abstract. get the bonding company, and policy number.
call up the bonding company, and ask about filing a claim on their bond for $15,000.

file the claim. you can always release it after they settle up. they owe you a minimum of
$15,000, as i see it anyway.

contact the contractor. explain the situation. explain you will report them to the CSLB for
fraud, and that will cost them the license.

now, you are in a position to negotiate with them. at this point, you own them.
they committed a felony in calif. they have no defense whatsoever.

at worst case, you claim the $15k, and report them. this isn't the first time. you aren't special.

 

[Jraef]

:thumbsup:
I like it. Nothing wakes people up as much as a big bill. They MUST respond to the Bonding company or go out of business, and if they try to fight your claim, they risk going to jail when you present your side of it. They have no option but to settle with you.

 

[mike_kilroy]

Sounds like all PES should have TWO stamps available:

1 real, complete one for official use
And
1 with a little missing data for use like this OP. If needed as proof of your pe to get a paying job...

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[Ingenieur]

I'm not convinced a crime was committed
they did not represent themselfs as pe's
he gave them the work willingly
generally the pe law only applies to pe's and usually only provides for administrative punishment in all but extreme cases like loss of life or property
the board generally has juristiction over pe's

attaching his bond (if he has a general one, and not project specific) might be difficult without a contract or being named on the bond

his best bet imo is to contest the permit
go to the project owner and let him know what is happening, see if he will tell you if he was billed for engineering services (this may show he violated the law, ie, selling services)
get a lawyer