We registered a new company at Companies House using our office as the registered office so far so good. About a week or so later we received through the post a letter from New Companies Register (Digital) 9 Wimpole Street London W1G 9SR inviting registration with them (£37.50) as a one off fee.
Has any one else received a letter like this?
We regularly register new companies, but have never heard of this before.
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Definitely a scam
I suppose if the scammer sends out 1,000 of these letters then 50 might send back cheques for £37.50. Someone will pop down to the mail box at Wimpole Street once a week to pick up the cheques. Nice little earner.
Report them to trading standards.
Key word
The key word is "inviting".
"You are required to ....." = Do it
"You are requested to ...." = Bin it
They've got some nice official looking crests on their website, and a nice long set of terms, so surely there can be nothing wrong with it! :(
As others have said this appears a standard 'business register' scheme - you give us money, we make a note of your name and then other people who've given us money can see who's in the same boat.
As far as I can see the 'register' is only available to people who've registered on it, so it's of even more restricted use than many of these types of register (my favourite being the european register that 'invites' customers with a very official looking perforated envelope set up, referencing european law requiring businesses to register, although carefully avoiding saying what those businesses are required to register on or who with since it's certainly not them!)
Anyway if you're looking for reassurance the following domain details don't look very government based, despite the use of "govuk" as a prefix in at least one of their URLs. It also looks like Mr/Mrs/Ms Willis has to pop down from the Edinburugh area to pick up their post from London judging from the phone number.
Registrant Contact Information:
Name: S Willis
Organization: NCR (Digital)
City: London
State: NA
Zip: W1G 9SR
Country: GB
Phone: +44.01312771027
Email: [email protected]
Business register
As others have said this appears a standard 'business register' scheme - you give us money, we make a note of your name and then other people who've given us money can see who's in the same boat.
There can't be many people in the business register, given that NCR (Digital) Limited was only formed on 24 October 2014.
Since this organisation apparently uses URLs that include "govuk" and has a UK Government-like crest on its website ncrdigital.info, I would regard this as fraudulent (obtaining money by deception?) so would also be tempted to file a money laundering report against the company and its director - for all the good that will do.
Value of SARs
[quote locutus
so I would also be tempted to file a money laundering report against the company and its director - for all the good that will do.
[/quote]
Does this suggest that SARs are a waste of time?
Money laundering reports
so I would also be tempted to file a money laundering report against the company and its director - for all the good that will do.
Does this suggest that SARs are a waste of time?
I expect the NCA take a lot of interest in drugs-related, terrorism and people-trafficking reports, but I suspect relatively small-scale deception like this case will not be high up on their list.
Of the money laundering reports that I have submitted over the years, only one (tax related) appears to have ever got looked into further, after being passed to HMRC.
I don't know how it works internally at the NCA, but perhaps if enough people report NCR (Digital) Limited then it may set off an alarm bell and action may be taken.
What is more likely to happen is that in the next 6 months, whilst the NCA and Trading Standards are scratching their heads about whether to do anything, NCR (Digital) Limited is likely to disappear with all of the money and will never file any accounts, or pay any tax.
Worthless
so I would also be tempted to file a money laundering report against the company and its director - for all the good that will do.
Does this suggest that SARs are a waste of time?
They are at my low level of potential loss.
However, it's maybe worth filing them anyway - maybe it'll dawn on them that there's some sort of de minimis threshold needed.
SARS A WASTE IF TIME!!!!
Heaven forefend !!
For the last eight plus years they have kept legions of paper pushers in paid " employment" processing all incoming requests and then discussing among themselves what if anything should be done with each of them given there are insufficient resources to carry out any meaningful investigation in any other thsn the most blatsntly egregious of them.
Continue doing that for 40 years and you qualify for a top hat index linked pension having contributed only notionally to the total some of human endeavour ....
What s not to like.....
in no way directed to anyone on this thread, but it seems to me there are some very stupid/gullible people out there.
I'm off to set up a register of companies and see if i get any bites.
Obviously i wont be using .gov.uk's in my URL and no government like crests - dont want to dupe people.
Will let you all know how i get on.
It used to be trade directories
And then it was a data protection thing, as Locutus mentioned if they send out a thousand and get a couple of takers, it was a good moments work.
Bargain
This is a bargain though as letters are being received right now in respect of the Publication of Companies and VAT Registration Numbers Corporate Portal 2015, from a mob in Germany.
Only £2391 for 3 years if you unwittingly reply. Apparently they are VAT registered in Germany and operate under German law.
Is this a subtle way for our German friends to extract the £1.7 billion in EU contributions?!
Shredded
This is a bargain though as letters are being received right now in respect of the Publication of Companies and VAT Registration Numbers Corporate Portal 2015, from a mob in Germany.
Only £2391 for 3 years if you unwittingly reply. Apparently they are VAT registered in Germany and operate under German law.
Is this a subtle way for our German friends to extract the £1.7 billion in EU contributions?!
Yep - one of my clients got that one this week. Now shredded. I do recall it being worded as a free entry but you could upgrade for £797 a year.
Obviously, I now need an East German "puzzler" to check that .........
Money Laundering Report (SAR)
Is this the only activity in which he/they are involved in - we dont know. Reporting a SAR could be just what the NCA need to investigate further.
As I understand it it is lots of little bits of information all brought together that provide the NCA with information as to whether to investigate further.
SCAMS GALORE
I thought that most of us had begun to recognise the scammers - be they Nigerian, West African, Romanian, German, British, US or whatever.
Yet - I have colleagues and clients who still believe that the latest letters from Hong Kong, which have a very professional web site, giving details of your long lost cousin's millions, are all kosher.
I'm just surprised that this little trick was even questioned. We have a really big DIGITAL Companies Register at "Companies House" which can be accessed FREE from all over the world. Why would you feel it necessary to question why you should send £37.50 to REGISTER elsewhere.
PS.
I have an International Lawyer colleague in London who takes some pleasure in communicating with the Scammers in really colourful language.
9 Wimpole Street
Among the many businesses that use this address is
Sochalls Charted [sic] Accountants
almost a bite
Recently started my first company and have just received a letter from NCR (digital).
"Under provisions laid out in the Companies Act 2006 the New Companies Register (Digital) was created.
For inclusion the registration fee is now due."
Payment of £37.50 either through bank transfer or online.
As a new company it can be quite easy to fall for scams like this. Glad I came across this thread while trying to research NCR (digital).
Lots of those
I've got a load of companies created under provisions laid out in the Companies Act 2006.
Got to admire the wording. It looks so official.
Really this is the kind of thing Co's House should deal with.
It would be quite simple to send the director of the newly appointed company a simple list of the statutory / compulsory things that may need to be done and advise against paying for anything not on the list.
Whilst we AWebbers are incredibly knowledgeable about loads of stuff not everyone is as cautious, suspicious, or canny as us. Easy for a newbie to fall for it.