"Fair and Honest Property Advice" - Are they scammers?

lafox

I too received the email. Think there must have been a data breech from E&M - will contact them and action fraud.

StaffsSW

clarkster wrote: »

Just to echo what maxs says - I'm in the same situation and am registered with E&M with a dedicated email.

It's actually a very well targeted scam since I immediately agreed with the contents and thought "yes they are ripoffs", normally I send these things straight to the bin but had to check it out in this case.

Likewise, I have a dedicated email set up for each of my utilities suppliers, including E&M. We are in the process of purchasing our freehold, so although we are not interested in dealing with past charges (my other half writes and dissects lease policies, so we were running rings around E&M anyway) but I was concerned how this single use email got into a third parties' hands.

IAmWales

steveh60 wrote: »

IAmWales, I did 'Chat' with ICO who advised.......
"Potentially, there is a question here as to how Fair and Honest Property advice have obtained your details. You could write to them and ask how they acquired your details. To make a subject access request you may wish to use our template, which can be found in our guide to requesting your personal information. If you are not satisfied with the response they provide then you can report the concern to our office and we can make an assessment."

I am more confused/concerned how she has obtained my email address if E&M have never held it though?? And how does she know I have an E&M account?

In the unlikely event you are reading all this Sarah Lane, perhaps you would like to post a response here??

Trust your own instinct and not what E&M tell you. The only thing that the rest of us all have in common is E&M, the chances of them getting your email from another source and connecting it to you being an E&M customer is pretty low. If you keep old emails do you have anything from them?

PhantomNip

I had the same email and same concern - how did they get my address, and what else did they get? Presumably not bank details. I complained/queried to the 'demand@' address since I'd imagine it's the most attentively monitored of the many they have.

E&M haven't yet replied (it takes at least a week, apparently) and the ICO website says they need to have responded before it can be reported, from what I can see.

Maybe a disgruntled employee trying to make a bit of extra cash?

robgul

This doesn't just apply to E&M - I received the same email addressed to the email that FirstPort/OM has (they manage service charges) - that said they are all in the same group ownership. My email that FirstPort is ONLY used for them so can only either be a leak or a scam by the Tchenguiz outfit (I have now changed all my email and account details with E&M and FirstPort)

TheAceOfClubs

I used the "live chat" on the ICO website to ask if I can report it to them to investigate.
They advised that I should contact E&M first and give them a chance to investigate. They said I could forward any reply to the ICO.

I've had a reply from E&M (the same reply as Peter Parson got above). it reads:-

On 20th September, we became aware that email addresses from our database had been accessed by an unauthorised person(s). We are currently investigating the extent of the problem. At present we believe only email addresses have been compromised.

We have received emails from some of the homeowners affected speculating that E&M sells personal information to commercial third parties. Contrary to this speculation, we do not.

In the event that home owners are contacted again by any individuals or third parties offering to sell products or services relating to E&M we recommend you do not respond to it and inform E&M at [EMAIL="communications@e-m.uk.com"]communications@e-m.uk.com[/EMAIL]

We treat the security of all confidential data with the utmost seriousness. A thorough investigation is now underway and we have notified the Information Commissioner's Office and the police.

We thank you for your understanding.


Operations Team

scriv

Thank you Cougar for your informative forum on this subject! I have also received this email and your forum was very useful.

spyderbite

Also received this very interesting letter. Frankly, I'm sorry most people shot the messenger. This wasn't a normal phishing letter but a detailed list of E-M charges as well as perfectly true complaints and maybe a guide to ridding ourselves of them. . None of my fellow residents like this company & I would have liked to take this further but, by now, Sarah Lane has probably been scared away by the thoughts of data protection breach etc. My guess is that she (or whomever) is either a disgruntled employee OR disgusted resident. I would have ordered the guide MAYBE following more info from her. Alas, not possible, because now EM have been notified of data breach & maybe tracing poor Sarah!

spyderbite

First Port & E &M ARE group ownership.

berberis2017

Hi everyone, thank you for all this shared info. Just met an elderly resident who had received this email and will share warnings with our residents. We are 52 in a block managed by First Port/E&M/Fairgap etc that has sold shares to the John Lewis Partnership Pension Trust (JLPPT) so they can use the surety of our ground rent presumably to mitigate against the risk of their pension deficit. Happy to connect with any groups that are struggling with these people to share info. We have just got our residents association up and running (formally recognised). Hoping to take these people on and would be amused if it was a data protection breach fine that unexpectedly and serendipitously did the trick. Am not an expert in anything just tired of seeing vulnerable people in my building at their wits end with hefty charges they don't understand and can't challenge. Am reaching out to other blocks and trying to inform myself and connect with others maybe doing the same thing. A complete !!!!!! Won't stand for it.