Fake MW targets trade on social media

25th October, 2012 by Patrick Schmitt

A person called Janice Bailey is falsely claiming to be a Master of Wine on social networking site LinkedIn.

Janice Bailey’s pixillated portrait on LinkedIn

News of her bogus claim to have achieved the notoriously difficult qualification surfaced after she targetted MWs and MW students on LinkedIn.

The Institute of Masters of Wine has issued a warning not to connect with her although there is a belief she may not exist at all.

Indeed, looking at her profile on LinkedIn, it’s evident her photograph (see left) is highly pixillated and may be a false identity designed to amass contacts for future sale.

Her LinkedIn profile describes Janice as a “Master of Wine, author, journalist, consultant, wine critic and educator”.

It also claims she holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Wine Business at TO Wine College and that she is based in the Greater New York area.

You can view her LinkedIn profile here.

 

 

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12 Responses to “Fake MW targets trade on social media”

1. Dale Cruse says:

   October 25, 2012 at 11:25 am

   If this person is fake, Warren Bobrow must feel awfully silly for endorsing her skills & expertise in both Wine & Wine Labels on LinkedIn.

   Reply
2. Nick Oakley says:

   October 25, 2012 at 1:00 pm

   Seems a rather long-winded method of acquiring MW contact names, when the full list is avilable on the IMW website, with emails.

   Reply
3. Catherine Monahan says:

   October 25, 2012 at 1:00 pm

   Rather ironic ;0)

   Reply
4. Neil Bruce (NOT a MW) says:

   October 25, 2012 at 1:17 pm

   The whole story is so funny, and from so many different angles, I’m not sure where to start! Good chuckle fodder but good that he/she’s been outed, either way.
   I’ve never thought of selling my contacts before reading this – but I’m not that kind of person anyway.
   XOX

   Reply
5. Warren Bobrow says:

   October 25, 2012 at 3:49 pm

   Not nearly as foolish as everyone who said they knew before the scam was uncovered that they had been duped. I’m sure my dear friend that I am not the only one duped.

   I suppose you never made a mistake?

   I don’t know everything. In fact, I’m still learning.

   Without being privy to the list of MW’s I suspect others were confused as well

   I accept responsibility for my error.

   Reply
   • Mike Dutch says:

     October 27, 2012 at 1:30 am

     Anyone can see the official list of MWs here:
     http://www.mastersofwine.org/en/about/meet-the-masters/search-alphabetically.cfm

     Reply
6. Alexsommelier says:

   October 25, 2012 at 5:04 pm

   Not only that in Italy there fake MS too, here’s the link http://acevola.blogspot.com.ar/2012/10/do-you-want-to-be-master-sommelier-fast.html

   Reply
   • Mike Dutch says:

     October 27, 2012 at 1:31 am

     Anyone can see the official list of MSs here:
     http://www.courtofmastersommeliers.org/sommeliers.php

     Reply
7. Andrew Healy says:

   October 25, 2012 at 6:25 pm

   First clue from the pixelated photo – An MW would bever hold a wine glass by the bowl!

   Reply
8. Blake says:

   October 25, 2012 at 11:37 pm

   @DaleCruse – It must take one pixilated cartoon character to know another!

   Reply
9. HHH says:

   December 7, 2012 at 5:29 pm

   Interesting to view those on LinkedIn proclaiming to be alumnii of “Wine College”:
   http://www.linkedin.com/college/alumni?eduSchool=Wine%20College

   Several of these photos are heavily cropped and dithered, probably to hide their origins. One of them, a “Tracy Graham”, has been inundating “her” LinkedIn connections with spam. Her picture appears to be cropped/dithered from this publicity photo:
   http://www.tastethesouth.com.au/cache/path/:upload:pages:home:group-tasting.jpg/width/960/height/800/name/group-tasting.jpg

   Quite a novel way to spam, if somewhat labour-intensive.

   Reply
10. Oberon Kant says:

    December 11, 2012 at 5:41 am

    I remember young Janice’s father in the last war, dam fine chap. we served briefly together with the 9th Hussars in the the Desert. The man knew his Second Growths and was the only fellow who had his own collapsible claret jug in his kit. to think that Janice is not an MW troubles me, we wine writers need to stick together, otherwise who else will believe us.

    Reply