On 1 November we filed a VAT registration application with HMRC. We are told by HMRC that this will take 3 or 4 weeks to process.
The application is for a company that had been dormant since incorporation late in 2010 but which had changed its name on 28 October 2011
On 7 November we received a communication dated 2 November (and also 4 November). This was addressed to the company in its new name and told us that we needed to visit a certain website and register the company on the INTRACOM VAT REGISTRY - at a fixed fee of £320 payable only on line and only by credit card.
Yes I know it is a scam, but whose system is leaking the information to the scammer? How did they get it? And what other information do they have?
Replies (5)
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coincidence
I would guess it's a coincidence. Companies House registers are obviously public records, so anyone can see changes of names etc. They're probably trying their luck with all newly formed companies/companies with new names etc.
I doubt it has anything to do with your genuine VAT application
Other sources
Googling 'Intracom VAT registry scam' returns a few instances of companies getting the mail while setting up a company, but without VAT registration, so it looks like the scammers are just monitoring activity published by Co House, which is of course publicly available
Co House
A CIC I'm advising had one of these through a little while after registering at CH, they haven't registered anywhere else and haven't started trading so the only people outside of the 'parent' organisation that have any info on them are CH.
It's a quite impressive piece of work, and the letter is carefully worded to make it appear you have a responsibility to register with them without actually explicitly stating it. The only thing it definitively states is that to get on their register you have to go to their website and register with them. Nothing on there is actually false, just very misleading, and I could see quite a few people falling for it and having little legal recourse afterwards.
This is much the same ...
... as the DP registration scams, as you say there was nothing untrue or illegal in what was said in those either, they just let your mind do the work for them.
We know its a scam but does the client???
I set up a company for a client a few weeks ago. The director received exactly the same card - same date (2 November); same website (INTRACOM VAT REGISTRY); same amount (£320); same comment re credit card etc etc
But she did not know it was a scam and was upset saying such things as 'you never told me I would have to pay this amount' etc etc.
I calmed her down, saying it was a mistake (I didnt want to frighten her) and to deliver it to my office to deal with - which she did.
I searched on the web and at the time there was nothing about this on accountingweb but there was on HMRC's website - as below.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/examples.htm
Question is>>> do we take it any further and if so who do you tell? Does it come under Money Laundering? Shall we tell HMRC every time we hear so they are aware as to how widespread it is?
Any ideas?