A Manchester-based accountancy firm is warning that scam operators are preying on unsuspecting businesses across the UK.
The scamsters are sending letters and faxes purporting to be from the Health and Safety Registration Enforcement Division.
The official looking letter from a Bradford address demands payment of either £199 or £249 for registering the recipient with ‘The Health and Safety Compliance Register; and suggests that directors could face a two-year jail sentence and fines of up to £13,000 for failing to act.
The scamsters cannot be credited with either originality or novelty. UHY Hacker Young partner Mike Wasinski said:
“Trading Standards issued a warning about these scam operators back in May 2004. They seemed to disappear for a while but now it looks like they’re back preying on unsuspecting businesses.”
He added, “Someone is lining their pockets at the expense of the gullible by pure deception. Tear-up the letter and warn your staff or anyone else who receives one to do the same.”
In fact, The Health and Safety Executive’s legitimate Health and Safety Starter Pack is available for £30 by visiting www.hsebooks.com
