01695581077

pay the scouse scumbags nothing, they are low life cowards & will go away...

Support Publishing Scams

MAJ portrait AvatarSupport Publishing is a recognised term used for businesses that manage the publication of a range of items such as desk diaries, wall planners, pamphlets, magazines and books. The items will be used to promote a particular good cause. For example a diary might be prepared on behalf of a police sports foundation or a booklet might be published in support of child safety on crossings outside schools.

The intention is for the publication to be circulated to schools and community centres in such a way as to raise public awareness of the messages contained within, such as child safety, safety at work or the good work a charity might be doing.

Of course the publishing company needs to be paid for supplying the publication and there are two ways of doing this. The first is for the charity or good cause to approach the publisher and commission the required item. They may order and pay for several thousand desk diaries to circulate around potential donnors. Details of the charity and the work it is doing will be contained within the diary. This is no different from the marketing products that may be commissioned by commercial companies to raise awareness of their brands.

The second method for funding the publication is for the publisher to include commercial advertisements. An advertser may be happy to fund an entry in a good cause booklet knowing that the public will associate their name withe the good cause and in doing so raise the commercial awareness of their brand. In theory it would be a good method of marketing.

There is nothing futrther to mention concerning the first method of funding. However, the second method is wide open to abuse by con merchants who see this as an easy way to solicit money from the millions of gernerally small businesses around the country who find it very difficult to say “no” when asked to support a good cause locally while at the same time gaining valuable marketing exposure.

To illustrate the support publishing practice that has grown up in the UK over recent years consider the case of McPherson Publishing Limited and Cavendish Publishing Limited. The names have been changed but represent very real companies that were trading fraudulently.  These support publishing companies have been well reported in the press following what was apparently the greatest number of complaints to Trading Standards offices around the UK ever received for one business. They were the same business, one simply setting up and taking over when the regulatory heat became too much for the other. Both companies have now been closed down by the authorities. In fact there were other forerunner companies and there are currently subsequent companies still operating! All were managed by the same people and utilised the same staff out of the same offices.

The business produced quarterly magazines aimed at off duty police, ambulance and fire service personnel. The publication included a few articles of general interest, recipes and puzzles together with around 200 advertisements for local businesses. Each magazine was produced on a regional basis, with the same content but with paid advertisements from businesses in each region.

200 advertsiements through 50 regions, four times a year at an average cost of £250 per entry gives a potential annual revenue of £10,000,000! When you consider that each advertiser received a copy of the magazine and a few hundred were distributed between a dozen or so police stations and ambulance centres – only about 50,000 magazines were printed each year.

Each magazine cost around £2 to print and post out. This leaves most of the £10 million to pay the dozen or so telesales staff around 40% commission and the rest, the lions share, going to the directors running the company.

The business worked because the sales team were self employed on commission, and used various devious means to hook the clients, whose names were simply extracted from phone directories and local papers. Most people don’t like to say no when asked to support good causes, partcicularly if names of charitable causes are used as a hook. The first telephone call would spin the tale of widely distributed publications… “100,000s in your area” and thereby solicit a real commercial interest. The second call, often only minutes after the first would be recorded and would exclude any detail of the false promises. It would simply confirm some of the victim’s details. The customer was often left somewhat bemused, thinking that they would make a final decision when they received their advertsiement copy for approval. However, what they would receive was an invoice with the only option for cancelling being the payment of a charge!

A large proportion of small businesses will pay such an invoice not wishing to enter into any dispute. Those that knew their consumer rights a little better were more likley to bin the first payment demand or return it with a letter saying they did not wish to go ahead with the advertisement. But the support publisher has a plan for increasing the proportion of targets who pay from the initial 40% or so to around 60% or even 70% by a sequence of demanding letters and phone calls robust enought to shake the resolve of even the most resolute victim. In the illustration, the business even passed the unpaid bills over to another debt collecting business that it had set up itself to give the illusion of escalating seriousness in the matter. They even resorted to “door-stop” collection techniques and a video of the threatening behaviour of one particularly nasty instance was caught on the victim’s mobile phone and aired on BBC’s Watchdog in 2006!

That this is a fraud there is no doubt. However, it is a problem that is very hard to deal with. The methods used by the support publishers make it harder and harder to close them down, with sanctions being fairly lenient to date (director disqualification etc). It is likley that the Fraud Act 2006 could be a better route if it was possible to get the police economic crime units to take an interest. The trouble is they are very often unwittingly caught supporting these very cons themselves by agreeing to take nominal quantities of the publications which they simply see as being “freebies”.

The telesales opperators in the business pay no tax. When investigating this particular support publisher I had a whistleblower contact me to say that all the staff used aliases and most were drawing supplementary benefit as well as earning £30 £50,000 per year!

So we have tax fraud, benefit fraud, Misrepresentation Act offences, Telecomunications Act offences, Data Protection Act offences and Fraud Act offences (plus the Company Act 1985 offences that I was investigating).

I tried to arrange a meeting with senior tax representitives from HMRC to inform them of the scale of the tax evasion, not only in the few companies that I investigated but concerning the industry as a whole, but the feedback was that theyconsidered the problem one that they could not deal with. The message was that they would have to wait until legislation changed.

Eventually a High Court Order was obtained to close the companies down. When the Official Receiver went in to the business the next day he found that the bank accounts had been stripped. Within a few days the business was back up running under a different name from the same (rented) premises.

Support publishing is a recognised problem for the authorities who continue to close these companies down only to have them reopen later under different names. Some open as partnerships or sole traders, having cottoned on to the fact that Companies Investigations Branch will not investigate them then. The police are unlikley to have the time and therefore if the perpetrators can make sure the complaints to Trading Standards are kept to a minimum by not pursuing debts too rigorously they will continue for the forseeable future to keep trading below the radar!

By Mark Jenner, forensic accountant and fraud investigation expert. You can keep up to date with his investigator’s diary blog.

Taken from
www.mark-jenner.com/category/scams_cons/
www.mark-jenner.com/support-publishing-scams/

His blog www.fraudadvice.co.uk

have been contacted by a company ,SIGMA,regarding advertising for Blue Light Emergancy Services magazine,I believe it to be fraudulent
Their address is
Trident House
31-33 Dale Street
Liverpool L2 2HF
TEL O800 035 213
email info@sigma.gb.com

I did not even receive a call "Cromwell designs just appeared on my bank statement, reported it to the fraud team at my bank

"01695 574367" same Sigma Blue Light Magazine scam reports
https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/01695574367
Contact Action Fraud when your bank account has been emptied www.actionfraud.police.uk

Whois:
Domain ID:CNIC-DO770634
Domain Name:SIGMA.GB.COM
Created On:11-Jul-2011 21:58:47 UTC
Last Updated On:28-Jul-2012 16:39:24 UTC
Expiration Date:11-Jul-2013 23:59:59 UTC
Status:OK
Registrant ID:H2008168
Registrant Name: Andrew Lownsbrough
Registrant Street1: keepers lodge
Registrant Street2: sandy lane
Registrant City:lancs
Registrant Postal Code: L40 5TU
Registrant Country:GB
Registrant Phone:
Registrant Email:@skymatrix.co.uk
Admin ID:H1036723
Admin Name:Dns Admin
Admin Organization:Skymatrix
Admin City:Glos
Admin Postal Code:GL50 9JQ
Admin Country:GB
Admin Phone:+44.08458340129
Admin Email:@skymatrix.co.uk
Tech ID:H1036723
Tech Name:Dns Admin
Tech Organization:Skymatrix
Tech City:Glos
Tech Postal Code:GL50 9JQ
Tech Country:GB
Tech Phone:+44.08458340129
Tech Email:@skymatrix.co.uk
Billing ID:H1036723
Billing Name:Dns Admin
Billing Organization:Skymatrix
Billing City:Glos
Billing Postal Code:GL50 9JQ
Billing Country:GB
Billing Phone:+44.08458340129
Billing Email:@skymatrix.co.uk
Sponsoring Registrar ID:H174365
Sponsoring Registrar Organization:Skymatrix
Sponsoring Registrar Street1:Number 117
Sponsoring Registrar Street2:20 Winchcombe Street
Sponsoring Registrar Street3:Cheltenham
Sponsoring Registrar City:Gloucester
Sponsoring Registrar Postal Code:GL52 2LY
Sponsoring Registrar Country:GB
Sponsoring Registrar Phone:+44 01452 458 042
Sponsoring Registrar Website:http://www.surpic.com
Name Server:NS.UKMAILEXCHANGE.NET
Name Server:NS1.UKMAILEXCHANGE.NET
DNSSEC:Unsigned

Support Publishing Scams

Support Publishing is a recognised term used for businesses that manage the publication of a range of items such as desk diaries, wall planners, pamphlets, magazines and books. The items will be used to promote a particular good cause. For example a diary might be prepared on behalf of a police sports foundation or a booklet might be published in support of child safety on crossings outside schools.

The intention is for the publication to be circulated to schools and community centres in such a way as to raise public awareness of the messages contained within, such as child safety, safety at work or the good work a charity might be doing.

Of course the publishing company needs to be paid for supplying the publication and there are two ways of doing this. The first is for the charity or good cause to approach the publisher and commission the required item. They may order and pay for several thousand desk diaries to circulate around potential donnors. Details of the charity and the work it is doing will be contained within the diary. This is no different from the marketing products that may be commissioned by commercial companies to raise awareness of their brands.

The second method for funding the publication is for the publisher to include commercial advertisements. An advertser may be happy to fund an entry in a good cause booklet knowing that the public will associate their name withe the good cause and in doing so raise the commercial awareness of their brand. In theory it would be a good method of marketing.

There is nothing futrther to mention concerning the first method of funding. However, the second method is wide open to abuse by con merchants who see this as an easy way to solicit money from the millions of gernerally small businesses around the country who find it very difficult to say “no” when asked to support a good cause locally while at the same time gaining valuable marketing exposure.

To illustrate the support publishing practice that has grown up in the UK over recent years consider the case of McPherson Publishing Limited and Cavendish Publishing Limited. The names have been changed but represent very real companies that were trading fraudulently.  These support publishing companies have been well reported in the press following what was apparently the greatest number of complaints to Trading Standards offices around the UK ever received for one business. They were the same business, one simply setting up and taking over when the regulatory heat became too much for the other. Both companies have now been closed down by the authorities. In fact there were other forerunner companies and there are currently subsequent companies still operating! All were managed by the same people and utilised the same staff out of the same offices.

The business produced quarterly magazines aimed at off duty police, ambulance and fire service personnel. The publication included a few articles of general interest, recipes and puzzles together with around 200 advertisements for local businesses. Each magazine was produced on a regional basis, with the same content but with paid advertisements from businesses in each region.

200 advertsiements through 50 regions, four times a year at an average cost of £250 per entry gives a potential annual revenue of £10,000,000! When you consider that each advertiser received a copy of the magazine and a few hundred were distributed between a dozen or so police stations and ambulance centres – only about 50,000 magazines were printed each year.

Each magazine cost around £2 to print and post out. This leaves most of the £10 million to pay the dozen or so telesales staff around 40% commission and the rest, the lions share, going to the directors running the company.

The business worked because the sales team were self employed on commission, and used various devious means to hook the clients, whose names were simply extracted from phone directories and local papers. Most people don’t like to say no when asked to support good causes, partcicularly if names of charitable causes are used as a hook. The first telephone call would spin the tale of widely distributed publications… “100,000s in your area” and thereby solicit a real commercial interest. The second call, often only minutes after the first would be recorded and would exclude any detail of the false promises. It would simply confirm some of the victim’s details. The customer was often left somewhat bemused, thinking that they would make a final decision when they received their advertsiement copy for approval. However, what they would receive was an invoice with the only option for cancelling being the payment of a charge!

A large proportion of small businesses will pay such an invoice not wishing to enter into any dispute. Those that knew their consumer rights a little better were more likley to bin the first payment demand or return it with a letter saying they did not wish to go ahead with the advertisement. But the support publisher has a plan for increasing the proportion of targets who pay from the initial 40% or so to around 60% or even 70% by a sequence of demanding letters and phone calls robust enought to shake the resolve of even the most resolute victim. In the illustration, the business even passed the unpaid bills over to another debt collecting business that it had set up itself to give the illusion of escalating seriousness in the matter. They even resorted to “door-stop” collection techniques and a video of the threatening behaviour of one particularly nasty instance was caught on the victim’s mobile phone and aired on BBC’s Watchdog in 2006!

That this is a fraud there is no doubt. However, it is a problem that is very hard to deal with. The methods used by the support publishers make it harder and harder to close them down, with sanctions being fairly lenient to date (director disqualification etc). It is likley that the Fraud Act 2006 could be a better route if it was possible to get the police economic crime units to take an interest. The trouble is they are very often unwittingly caught supporting these very cons themselves by agreeing to take nominal quantities of the publications which they simply see as being “freebies”.

The telesales opperators in the business pay no tax. When investigating this particular support publisher I had a whistleblower contact me to say that all the staff used aliases and most were drawing supplementary benefit as well as earning £30 £50,000 per year!

So we have tax fraud, benefit fraud, Misrepresentation Act offences, Telecomunications Act offences, Data Protection Act offences and Fraud Act offences (plus the Company Act 1985 offences that I was investigating).

I tried to arrange a meeting with senior tax representitives from HMRC to inform them of the scale of the tax evasion, not only in the few companies that I investigated but concerning the industry as a whole, but the feedback was that theyconsidered the problem one that they could not deal with. The message was that they would have to wait until legislation changed.

Eventually a High Court Order was obtained to close the companies down. When the Official Receiver went in to the business the next day he found that the bank accounts had been stripped. Within a few days the business was back up running under a different name from the same (rented) premises.

Support publishing is a recognised problem for the authorities who continue to close these companies down only to have them reopen later under different names. Some open as partnerships or sole traders, having cottoned on to the fact that Companies Investigations Branch will not investigate them then. The police are unlikley to have the time and therefore if the perpetrators can make sure the complaints to Trading Standards are kept to a minimum by not pursuing debts too rigorously they will continue for the forseeable future to keep trading below the radar!

By Mark Jenner, forensic accountant and fraud investigation expert. You can keep up to date with his investigator’s diary blog.

Taken from
www.mark-jenner.com/category/scams_cons/
www.mark-jenner.com/support-publishing-scams/

His blog www.fraudadvice.co.uk

www.actionfraud.police.uk to report attempted and actual fraud

Hi Julie
I've just read your info about SIGMA and found it very interesting. I had a call from them last week ( number witheld) and they offered my business avertising space in a magazine that represented the emergency servces. The cost was £250 VAT and this was for 4 publications a year and would be distributed throughout Shropshire Homes. I said I was intested , as I have only just started up  and need exposure. I agreed over the phone to a 1/4 page advert in their Blue Light magazine. They said that they where recording the call for training purposes. I didn't think any thing of it as the man sounded convincing , but a bit pushy when I wanted information of their publication to look at before I commited.  I was told that this was a limited offer and I had been selected from other traders to be included in the magazine. Stupidly ,my ego got the best of me and I said I wanted to be included in this emergency services circular.
After researching Sigma through Tradesman forums. a lot of people have been scammed by this hard sell technique and the Blue Light connection.

I am concerned that I have been scammed, and no publication exists and that the contract that I made verbally is binding. I have Emailed the address that is on the letter they sent, thanking me for supporting the Brave Emergency Service Men & Women. In the Email I cancelled my order (within 7 days of the phone call )  what I am  also concerned about is the freat of Debt colecters coming to my home address.
( which I never gave them) they must have got my details from a free listing for my new company on Yell.com.

Other people have had treats made to them, but I can't find out if these are ever carried out and people have had to pay for this advert when they have cancelled it.?

It seems to me that the phone call was in breach of the unfair trading act of 2008, so If  SIGMA persist in harassment and scare tactics then I think I need toinform Trading Standards. It depends on whether they recognise my communication with them.  Other people have said that they get threats of legal action.

Any further advice that you can give as to what I need to do to make sure they are euther geniune or rogue  traders wuld be appreoiated.

Regards

Ken

Webfusion :-{

I have read that Identity Protect Limited t/a Identity Protection Service, PO Box 795, Godalming, Surrey. GU7 9GA is a scam operation that registers lots of the scam artists' sites who wish to conceal their true identity from us and the cursory glance of the under-resourced trading standards officer.

Some of these data criminals are complained about on whocallsme. Identity Protect Limited run their own servers with Webfusion, and are linked to crime networks in Germany, London, Manchester , Liverpool and the Midlands.

You will see lots of postings on here telling you NOT complain to the ICO & TPS because they are "useless". Ignore them. Two of the syndicate were recently fined £440,000 by the ICO because of our complaints and this cost the crime syndicate introducer fees.
https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/01614750375

The frequent "not worth reporting" posts are made by the syndicate to discourage us from contacting the ICO. TPS pass the complaints on to the ICO, so are equally slated.

Report EACH non-compliant call to the ICO. They require evidence to act.
https://www.snapsurveys.com/swh/surveylogin.asp?k=134674895144

Likewise, report each and every scam attempt to Action Fraud. Attempted fraud is still a crime.
www.actionfraud.police.uk

Magrathea Telecomms are another scam operation with Columbian connections and work with Identity Protect Limited and Webfusion

If you see any of the above names or addresses in a whois do NOT deal with the company or website.

Likewise, if Magrathea Telecomms is the callers' telecom provider, avoid them.

At best you will be supporting crime and at worst you will end up being defrauded.

Google the names above and the word scam if you are in any doubt.

https://www.duedil.com/company/07407280/identity-protect-limited

Identity Protect Limited
Company Number: 07407280
Company Type: Private limited with share capital
SIC Code: 7260, Other Computer Related Activities
Inc. Date: 14 Oct 2010
Annual Returns: 14 Oct 2012
Annual Accounts: 31 Dec 2011
Last Updated: 23 Oct 2012

Registered Address
5 Roundwood Avenue
Stockley Park
Uxbridge
Middlesex
UB11 1FF

Trading Address
The Old Forge
Shackstead Lane
Godalming
Surrey
GU7 1RJ

ABOUT IDENTITY PROTECT LIMITED
Identity Protect Limited was registered on 14 Oct 2010 with its registered office in Middlesex. The business has a status of 'Non-trading'. Their founding director was Matthew Mansell, who is British, aged 36. There are 2 shareholders of Identity Protect Limited. They have no known group companies. No annual accounts have been filed as the company is either too young or exempt from filing accounts.

These are just the reports lodged on this domain:
www.google.co.uk/search?q=GU7+9GA+site:whocallsme.com
www.google.co.uk/search?q=GU7+1RJ+site:whocallsme.com
www.google.co.uk/search?q=GU1+2RD+site:whocallsme.com
www.google.co.uk/search?q=UB11+1FF+site:whocallsme.com

All domains:
www.google.co.uk/search?q=GU7+9GA+SCAM
www.google.co.uk/search?q=GU7+1RJ+SCAM
www.google.co.uk/search?q=GU1+2RD+SCAM
www.google.co.uk/search?q=UB11+1FF+SCAM

Anthony Michael Simister and associates scam - security update.

The address given on the www.nuisancecalls.org.uk scam site, The Nuisance Calls Forum
has been switched from

The Nuisance Calls Forum
Highfield House
Congleton Road
Stoke On Trent
ST7 3SY

To:

The Nuisance Calls Forum
The Studio
55 Weir Road
London
SW19 8UG

enquiries@nuisancecalls.org.uk
www.nuisancecalls.org.uk

Domain name:
      nuisancecalls.org.uk

  Registrant:
      mr peter marsden

  Registrant type:
      UK Individual

  Registrant's address:
      102 stand lane
      radcliffe
      radcliffe
      M26 1JU
      United Kingdom

  Registrar:
      34SP.com Limited [Tag = 34SP]
      URL: http://www.34sp.com 

  Relevant dates:
      Registered on: 22-Jun-2011
      Expiry date:  22-Jun-2013
      Last updated:  27-Sep-2012

  Registration status:
      Registered until expiry date.

  Name servers:
      ns77.domaincontrol.com
      ns78.domaincontrol.com

It is a scam!
Andrew Lownsborough owns both Sigma and Vision publishing in ormskirk in lancashire.
His salesmen scam people into believing they are supporting a good cause.They will lie to youabout the distribution figures in order for you to buy.They then hold on to your paperwork for ten days.This is so that when you recieve it,the order is over seven days old and they say that you cant cancel it.
They will then threaten you with court action.In reality,they will never take you to court,as it is a scam.
Stand your ground,ignore them,and they will move onto their next victim.
If you type Andrew Lownsborough conman into google,that will give you an idea of the scale of his scams.

Update! For all those who have NOT given these pr1cks any money, phone Action Fraud, get a number, and the next time Sigma (or someone 'representing' Sigma) calls do not let them get a word in edgeways, be very blunt (but not rude) and tell them that they are a bogus company and that you have reported them to the Police, Action Fraud, Crimestoppers ( I did all three). They will go all defensive and try to say in a very small pathetic weak voice that they are genuine. Then just hang up. That is exactly what I did this January 2013 and I tell you I have not heard from them since. I kept all correspondence should the police/action fraud wish to use it. IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH SIGMA AND HAVE NOT GIVEN THEM MONEY, THIS WILL GET THEM OFF YOUR BACK!

Andrew lounsborough now operates sigma, vision and the national response. Beware all off these scams.

If you type into google.............director check for vision publishing in ormskirk.........there is an atricle about the office of vision being raided by the police.If you get conned by these scumbags and they ask you to pay,just refer them to this article.

If you google...........director check for vision publishing in ormskirk,and go to the scambusters entry,you will see that their office was raided by the police,and they are now being investigated for fraud.If you have been conned by these parasites,and they are chasing you for money,just refer them to this article.

all sounds like the selling false advertising space i got involved in thru a guy calling himself john scott from gateache press in liverpool,i paid my money for ad space and month later when i was due in the mag my ad was no where to be seen,i viewed magazines at fire stations around my area and nothing showed,did my homework on them,spoke trading standards and spoke to owner of the printers and she more or less flipped on the phone and hung up in temper while attempting to threaten me! anyway  i take every chance now to spread there awfull name and business scams, i have made warning  posters for my work place and warned many building trade people about them as thats who they like to target, with the help of screw fix  we have notified thousands!   so heads up!

I have been contacted by 01695 578325 2 weeks ago with this scam.If you receive a letter/confirmation from them,make sure you cancel within 7 days by registered post at the addess shown,NOT the PO Box address.The person who signed for mine gave a childs scribble & the name Brown (how original).
I contacted trading standards (Hants) & spoke to a lady called clare hill & can you believe she advised me to pay up!!
This sort of scam has been going nearly 20 years now through various company names.

My decorating business was contacted by Sigma nearly 2 years ago now & subsequently threatened with legal action for the £500 we refused to pay as we couldn't find evidence of this publication ever having gone to print or being distributed.
We spoke to trading standards, citizens advice & an independent lawyer (free of charge for 1 consultation - which was all it took) and after much deliberation & lots of worry we decided not to give in to these bandits. We sent letters to this effect to Sigma & refused to speak to them on the phone, instructing them to correspond with us only in writing (which they never did). Within a few months we heard nothing more from them. It has been over a year since we have heard anything from them - they never carried out any of their threats about debt collectors, affecting credit scores or taking us to court.
Please take comfort in this & don't give in to them. It occurred to me that no one ever posts to say if they have been taken to court so thought I would update our situation.
As a small business with a young family I know how worrying these threats can be but it seems to me these bullies never pursue those who stand up to them.

I recieved a call today from a debt companyworking on behalf of sigma.he said that if I didn't pay my outstanding balance of £234 then he has no option but to take it to court.my answer was"bring it on pal,I'd love to go to court over this issue because I have the evidence to prove you are a scam" he was still very polite about it but Im hoping it does go to court but I very much doubt it.

Sadly I have been drawn into what seems to be a scam! I am a new bussiness trying to get my name out in my local area so when I received the initial phone call it sounded like a great way to reach out especially as I was guaranteed to be the only service in my field to ad! I was told it would be delivered to 22,000 people in my area on 4 issues so money well spent and helping charity at the same time!
I didn't think that anything was strange till I received a similar offer from similar kind of magazine/charity so I promptly mentioned I had already put a ad and would like feedback from that before I would commit to advertising again to this the guy on the phone asked me if had been dealing with vision and if so to check up as it looks like I was being scammed!
So google it was and up it came! Scam! Scam! Don't commit etc! Made my stomach turn knowing I had committed, and then this morning I received my glossy mag and invoice for £150!
Now I'm not too sure what I can do? Do I just take what I received to the police and hope they will help?