Businesses in Gedling borough are being warned not to respond to a scam letter issued by a German-based business called UK Data Control, asking for details of missing VAT numbers.
The official-looking letter asks for confirmation of VAT numbers and other business details. However, the small print within the letter from the Hamburg-based business confirms that signing and returning the form also commits the signatory to agreeing to pay £790 annually for their details to be published on a website.
Nottinghamshire County Council Trading Standards are concerned businesses in the borough may consider the letter to be an official communications and sign and return the form leading to demands for payment.
A spokesman for trading standards said: “The letter says that the sender is looking to update VAT registration numbers.
“The first page of the letter gives the impression that this is a free service, but the small print states that by returning the attached the form you are signing up to a £790 p/a advertising contract on a “UK-Data Control portal.”
We have checked the UK-Data Control portal website and have noted that several Nottinghamshire businesses are already listed on it.
We would like to assure Nottinghamshire businesses that the sender is not associated with HMRC or the County Council, and that you have no obligation to provide any information to this company.
If you have received one of these letters and received an invoice please report the matter to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk. We also suggest you seek legal advice before making any payment.
