Scam Mail
Scam Mail comes in many different guises, and they vary from simple prize draws to major investment scams, pyramid selling and even fake HMRC refunds!
If you receive something you believe to be scam mail rather than usual spam from legitimate Companies or businesses, it’s good practice to ask yourself “is it too good to be true?”
At first glance you’ll most likely notice:
- The offer will sound unbelievably attractive – the key word being ‘unbelievable’
- There will be a catch e.g. an expectation of payment before you receive anything.
- You have never heard of the Company – the mail is likely to be unsolicited.
On further investigation:
- You may spot spelling and grammatical errors
- Watermarks or seals are typical of scam mail
- Duplicated signatures can also be a sign
- Requests for further details are ignored.
Steps To Take:
- Act with caution – anything asking you for money in return for investments, prizes, inheritance or your bank details etc is likely to be a scam.
- Search for the Company – you can search Company information at Companies House, including who the directors are etc. – You’ll most likely find that it is not registered in the UK, because it is something that has originated from abroad.
- Ask an expert – your accountant is trained in Anti- Money Laundering Regulations and will be able to spot a possible money laundering scam, so give us a call.
- Obtain legal advice from a solicitor before signing anything!
- Report it – Royal Mail must deliver all mail entrusted to it so even if the letter comes in the post, BEWARE! You can report scam mail to the Royal Mail by emailing scam.mail@royalmail.com or by calling 03456 113413
- You may also wish to report it to National Crime Agency.
Previously – Avanti saved a client from potentially losing £6,000 instantly as well as possibly linking themselves to money launderers . Not only did we prevent the client financial inconvenience and damage to reputation, we also hope we have saved them any more stress.
So if you are deliberating over a letter that is offering you cash injection for a fee, while it may seem attractive, it will only end up being very ugly if you respond. If you’d like us to take a look and advise you, give Avanti a call (08000) 388 799.