North London man prosecuted for providing fake references to SIA

On 30 September 2026 at Highbury Magistrates Court, Mr Serban pleaded guilty to 2 offences under section 3 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981. He was ordered to pay a fine of £180 per offence, a victim surcharge of £144 and prosecution costs of £400, totalling £904.

Mr Serban had applied for an SIA licence in October 2025, and was asked by the SIA to supply 2 character references to support his appeal against a potential refusal of his licence due to a previous conviction.

He supplied the SIA with a reference that claimed to be from a former employer, but Mr Serban had never worked at the business in question. The second character reference claimed to be from a doctor, but none with the name supplied was registered with the General Medical Council. Both references had been forged.

Tara Moutray, SIA Criminal Investigations Manager, said:

I am glad to see these acts of forgery result in conviction and an order to pay almost £1,000. Mr Serban attempted to put the public’s safety at risk by illegally obtaining an SIA licence. We are committed to stopping any application for an SIA licence that is made dishonestly and prosecuting where appropriate.