Bogus government agency scams

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The pitch

Scammers may send official looking letters or emails giving the impression that they are from a government department or falsely implying or claiming authority to act.  For example, they may advise that you must register, for a fee, in order to comply with certain legislation, pay a fine for breaches of the law, or give bank details to claim a tax rebate.

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The con

Scammers will often seek to exploit a lack of knowledge about business regulations and procedures.

Some examples of this type of scam include:

• Small business owners have received emails supposedly sent from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) stating that they are owed a tax rebate. Emails ask for bank or credit card details so the money can be refunded. An example of such a fake email can be viewed at the HM Revenue & Customs website. Although these emails may contain the HMRC logo and other details, they are fake. HMRC may send emails from time to time but would never request login, bank and credit card details. Points to look for and advice are available on the HMCR website.
  
• Businesses have been cold called and offered services to enable them to comply with health and safety legal requirements. Some businesses have received letters demanding payment from firms pretending to regulate health and safety and suggesting that if businesses do not register they may face investigation. The letters ask businesses to complete a questionnaire and send a fee, falsely implying that the failure to register could lead to a substantial fine or up to two years imprisonment. Advice and guidance on health and safety issues for small businesses can be found at the Health & Safety Executive's website. Small businesses in Northern Ireland can get advice and guidance by contacting the HSENI's free and confidential small business advisory service on 028 9040 8007 or visit the Health and Safety Works Northern Ireland website.  
  
• Food business operators have received bogus letters claiming to be from the Food Standards Agency demanding payment for supposed breaches of food safety regulations.  Some of these letters demand payment of £1,000. A copy of such a letter can be found at the Food Standards Agency website. The Food Standards Agency is not the national enforcement authority for food law and would not be sending any such letters demanding payment. Any breaches of food hygiene regulations would be dealt with by local authorities. 
  
• Data Protection Act notification agencies sending letters demanding money to register under the Data Protection Act 1998. These bogus agencies give the impression that they are an official agency and that you are under a legal obligation to register with them immediately. While most businesses processing personal data are required by law to notify the Information Commissioner, they can do so directly and the fee is currently only £35, on which no VAT is payable.  Information on whether or not your business is required to notify under the Data Protection Act 1998 on the Information Commissioner's website or by telephoning its notification helpline on 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45. See example of a data protection scam (pdf 282 kb).  

 

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How to protect your business

Always check with the government department responsible for the legislation before responding to any suspicious approaches.  

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