neWS Dont be fooled Scams dont just affect the public a number of them specifically target businesses. this is often referred to as corporate fraud. dont let your business be a victim. Below are two examples of current business scams, plus advice to prevent your business falling foul of thescammers. Business directory fraud is when a company receives an order form in the post, by email or fax, appearing to offer a free listing in a print or online business directory. the company is asked to return the form even if it doesnt want to place an order, but the small print states that by returning the form, it is committing to an order and must pay for ongoing entries in the directory. neWS Dont let your business be a victim fIND OUT MORE A full list of current corporate frauds can be found on the Action Fraud website. The Metropolitan Police have published a Little Book of Big Scams, which offers detailed advice to safeguard your business against fraudulent acts. Credits: Carrie Morris images: michaeljung / Shutterstock Cutting red taPe the Warwickshire-based National Federation of Property Professionals (nFoPP) has entered into a coordinated Primary authority partnership with Warwickshire Trading Standards to deliver clear and consistent business advice to the uks property industry, cutting red tape and helping businesses to grow. trade associations representing small and medium-sized businesses can now build a coordinated partnership with their local trading Standards service, to ensure that all the firms they represent wherever they are based receive the same advice and guidance. nFoPP will receive direct guidance from Warwickshire trading Standards and, in turn, any estate agent or residential letting agent that is a member of the Federation will be able to receive advice on trading laws directly from nFoPP. this can cost hundreds of pounds a year. often businesses do not know they have signed up to anything until they start to receive debt collection letters from the bogus publisher. a bogus invoice scam is one of the easiest to operate. Without any prior contact, perpetrators send hoax invoices to businesses for adverts in fictitious publications, goods that do not exist or for any other fictitious service. this is a crude hit-and-miss approach, but a surprising number of victims pay the invoice without question, particularly if the amount involved is relatively small. trading Standards offers the following anti-scam advice to business owners: l Have a limited number of authorised employees to approve purchases of goods and services, and ensure all other employees know that they cant discuss ordering or payments l agree to nothing from a phone call. alegitimate company will be happy to put everything in writing. Sign nothing until youve reviewed the contract and the small print in detail l ask questions: find out how they got your details; ask for their phone number and address; establish what it is they are asking you to sign up to; and research the goods or service being offered before purchase Left to right: James Greenaway, team manager, Warwickshire Trading Standards; Councillor Les Caborn, portfolio holder for community safety, Warwickshire County Council; Janet Faulkner, group manager trading standards, Warwickshire Trading Standards; David Lovell, account manager, Better Regulation Delivery Office; Ian Potter, managing director, Association of Residential Letting Agents; Mark Hayward, managing director, National Association of Estate Agents; and David Oliver, head of compliance, National Federation of Property Professionals the Primary authority assures that advice provided to businesses via nFoPP is backed by statute, so as long as businesses follow the advice, their local trading Standards service cannot take proceedings against them. Businesses belonging to a trade association with a partnership in place will no longer need to contact theirown local trading Standards service on an individualbasis, thus reducing inconsistency of advice and enforcement. Credits: James greenaway
