Fake research leads to fraud and false hope for Parkinson’s patients
Date published
October 2016
Relevant impacts: Reputational impact, government outcomes impact and human impact
A researcher from the University of Queensland claimed to have undertaken research on treatment strategies for Parkinson’s Disease, however the research was never carried out and their research article was entirely fabricated. After learning about the fraud, a second academic chose to continue the fraud and apply for grants using the fraudulent research. The two were convicted and sentenced on 22 charges of fraud and attempted fraud. Both were sentenced to 2 years in prison. This was Australia's first criminal prosecution for research fraud.
Related fraudster personas
Related countermeasures
Make sure a manager, independent person or expert oversees actions and decisions. Involving multiple people in actions and decisions increases transparency and reduces the opportunity for fraud.
Verify any requests or claim information you receive with an independent and credible source.
Require clients, staff and third parties to have ongoing compliance, performance and contract reviews.
Prepare summary reports on activities for clients, managers or responsible staff.
Submit a case study
We'd like to hear from you if you have a case study to share.