Protection from counterfeit certificates and fraudulent claims of UKAS accreditation

Independently checking the authenticity of an organisation’s management systems certification is an integral part of the business procurement process. To support businesses in this process, UKAS launched its?CertCheck?service in June 2022, to provide a quick and easy mechanism to independently check the authenticity of claims regarding accredited management systems certifications. ?

Since launching CertCheck, UKAS has become aware of several counterfeit certificates in circulation and/or organisations falsely claiming accreditation or affiliation with UKAS. Such practices pose a risk to procurement bodies and end-users of accredited certification services, as well as reduced confidence in claims of accreditation.??

You can find out more information on the steps you can take to validate management systems certification on our “How to differentiate the fake from the valid” guidance. This page also highlights potential signs of counterfeit certificates not issued by UKASs or by an accreditation body that is a signatory of an IAF or EA MLA.?

The TIC Council has also launched an Anti-counterfeiting Action Centre to provide additional visibility and awareness around counterfeit certifications. You can access the TIC Council Anti-counterfeiting Action Centre here (Anti-counterfeiting Action Center :: TIC (tic-council.org)?

UKAS has also taken the decision to publish details of those organisations known to be falsely claiming UKAS accreditation for management systems certification, and who may have issued counterfeit certificates under the guise of UKAS accreditation.??This information can be found on our website.

You can protect your own supply chain and proactively monitor the accreditation status of certifications held by your suppliers by signing up for a free account with UKAS CertCheck now!