Loss Prevention 26 Jul, 2024 STCW Fraudulent Certification Marcus Winchester Loss Prevention Officer The Club has been made aware lately of instances whereby some crew members operating on board our Members vessels have been in possession of false and fraudulent certification, potentially resulting in vessels being operated by crew members who aren’t duly qualified for the role on board.   Download PDF Recently, during a port state control inspection, local inspectors boarded the Member’s vessel, a VLCC, and through the process of reviewing the crews’ certification required under STCW, discovered that the Master of the vessel was in fact not qualified to operate in his role and had in his possession fraudulent documentation. This posed a severe risk to the safe and compliant operation of the ship. It also meant the immediate threat of detainment by the Port State Authority which can have a severe legal and financial implication. Members are advised to be vigilant and exercise proper due diligence when checking through the certification of seafarers they are employing. Members should verify where certification has been issued and consult the flag states during the vetting period for new joining crew members to confirm that they are in possession of genuine certification that is in date. A check with the relevant Flag state to understand what training centres have been approved to provide official training that is necessary to be in receipt of the STCW certification.