“ Following on from that , two of the shops had calls from a man , who we immediately suspected to be the same person . He claimed to be calling from the bank this time . We contacted the bank and they froze the account this man claimed to be the holder of .” In total , had this company released stock without ensuring that payment had been made successfully , they could have lost £ 19,000 .
This magazine has been made aware of several of these scams in recent months . We know at least three companies have lost a significant amount of stock after succumbing to similar scams , not to mention the effect these aggressive calls have had on members of staff . We ’ re also aware there is a level of paranoia among vape shop staff on both sides of the Irish Sea . In speaking to shops ahead of the launch of the Vapouround Club in July , a number of people referenced similar scams .
“ He rang back and was quite angry on the phone . He demanded that we refund him ”
Know your options when faced with fraud
Financial Fraud Action UK recommends businesses use a thirdparty service which allows retailers to check the address details provided by the customer . World Pay is just one such service which instantly identifies discrepancies in the card holder ’ s details such as an address not matching .
When dealing with first-time customers , the organisation also advises validating the customer ’ s personal address on the Electoral Register and being wary if they only supply a mobile number . “ A landline number should be obtained where possible . Do not allow repeat orders to be processed or goods to be shipped without undertaking a further authorisation . Extra care should be taken if dealing with an unknown or new customer .”
Action Fraud is the national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre which deals with complaints of fraud from the public and businesses in the UK . It offers this advice :
“ Be extremely wary of post , phone calls or emails offering you business deals out of the blue . If an offer seems too good to be true , it probably is . Always question it . Be aware of when fraudsters pretend to be a lawyer or a law enforcement officer and tell you they can help you recover the money you ’ ve already lost . If debit or credit cards , online banking or cheques are involved , your first step should be to contact your bank or credit card company .”
You can also sign up to the Action Fraud Alert programme to receive direct , verified and accurate information about scams and fraud in your area . If you ’ ve been a victim of fraud , contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or by using the online reporting tool .
For more information , go to actionfraud . police . uk or financialfraudaction . org . uk
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