Fraud Warning

[musht]

Warning from the Professional Lighting and Sound Association

 

 

Beware Orders from 'PLATINUM CONTRACTS UK'

 

One of our UK members contacted the PLASA office recently to advise of a fraud currently doing the rounds and unfortunately hitting a few members in the process. In essence, the scam involves a company called Platinum Contracts UK Ltd contacting members and asking for quotes on equipment worth between £3,000 and £10,000.

 

PCUK subsequently place an order and credit checks suggest that, as a new company, there's no reason not to accept the order and offer a start-up credit limit. PCUK then continue to place orders for equipment up until their first invoice is due for payment. When the members chases payment - PCUK confirm they have issued a BACS payment. A call to the bank usually confirms a payment is on its way, but on closer inspection it will be for a fraction of the total invoice value. In other words an invoice worth £4,500 will have generated a BACS payment of £4.50 so limiting the number of legal options immediately available to the creditor and crucially not affecting the credit rating.

 

When the money is chased after the error is spotted, all details at Company House - including Directors & Registered Office - prove to be false and no audit trail is left. We are aware that several PLASA members have already been hit and want to make all the membership aware, so no one further is affected. The police have been informed and if anyone has further information please contact the PLASA office."

 

www.plasa.org

[Bryson]

Wow. That's nasty. Then, I guess they're reselling the kit somehow. I suppose that's another thing to be wary of - the resale of the "stolen" kit.

[musht]

Very good point, crims have to turn the goods into cash at some point, the general principal is called long firm fraud:

 

http://www.merseyside.police.uk/html/crime...d/long-firm.htm