False invoice - who do I report it too

Divorcedwith3

Thread removed

Aylesbury_Duck

Speak to your solicitor.  He or she will be able to advise.  It sounds like you have no evidence of any crime here, so your solicitor is unlikely to advise you to pursue it.

Brie

if any of the invoices seem to involve whatever employer he has then you might report it to them.  As in if he's an accountant working for a accountancy firm or a brickie working for a construction company.  They might be interested to know that he's acting potentially fraudulently.

Divorcedwith3

Surely the  evidence is bank accounts not linked to name and address on the invoice? It’s the same page with different details and no connection to the person I was meant to pay! 

Surely there is an offence against issuing false invoices! 

Is it not fraud to ask for payment for work not done (he didn’t do it but also didn’t produce any evidence that he did do it when asked.  

Consumer rights or trading standards perhaps? I don’t know but surely it’s an offence to try and get money out of someone for work that wasn’t done and to produce false invoices! 

   This tradesman was going to willingly accept money from me for work he didn’t do but then to print off and issue so called bills is awful! 

Divorcedwith3

He is self employed . His name and address were on them but the bank account he asked the money to be paid into wasn’t in his name . I checked and also did a check on the company it belonged to and it has no connection with him. 

Also is he not meant to have a VAT number on invoices?

GrumpyDil

He's only meant to print a Vat number if he is VAT registered which he may not be depending upon turnover. 

There might be an argument around attempted fraud but given the current resourcing situation in some police forces attempted fraud is not going to be high up the list of priorities, particularly as it was not successful and all you have is a suspicion your ex was trying to con you out of money. 

voluted

Divorcedwith3 said:

Surely the  evidence is bank accounts not linked to name and address on the invoice? It’s the same page with different details and no connection to the person I was meant to pay! 

Surely there is an offence against issuing false invoices! 

Is it not fraud to ask for payment for work not done (he didn’t do it but also didn’t produce any evidence that he did do it when asked.  

Consumer rights or trading standards perhaps? I don’t know but surely it’s an offence to try and get money out of someone for work that wasn’t done and to produce false invoices! 

   This tradesman was going to willingly accept money from me for work he didn’t do but then to print off and issue so called bills is awful! 

If you believe they committed fraud you can report them to the police.

Why are you now being hit with half of the bill to sort the issues out? Either it's sorted or it isn't. If it isn't the ex will be paying half the bill which will be taken out of the marital assets. If it is, I don't see why you're liable.

You need to not ask these important legal questions on a forum full of well-meaning but ignorant lay people. Get advice from your solicitor.

HampshireH

Divorcedwith3 said:

He is self employed . His name and address were on them but the bank account he asked the money to be paid into wasn’t in his name . I checked and also did a check on the company it belonged to and it has no connection with him. 

Also is he not meant to have a VAT number on invoices?

Why don't you call the company whose invoice details you have been given for payment.

Ask them for copies of the certificates (or whatever) before you make payment to them.

It doesn't make sense to me that someone would put provide you different bank details if they wanted the money.

More likely they work for said company as a set employed person

Emmia

You really should use the professional advice of your solicitor.

If these invoices are false, then perhaps you should use them as evidence for your ex husband's behaviour towards you, and what should be the correct division of assets.

RefluentBeans

Emmia said:

You really should use the professional advice of your solicitor.

If these invoices are false, then perhaps you should use them as evidence for your ex husband's behaviour towards you, and what should be the correct division of assets.

Agreed - that’s what they’re there for. 

eddddy

Divorcedwith3 said:

Surely there is an offence against issuing false invoices! 

FWIW, if somebody knowingly said or wrote something misleading (e.g. prepared a false invoice), in order to persuade you to pay some money to somebody - that would be 'fraud by false representation'.

That's a criminal offence, but realistically, I think you'll have a very, very hard time getting the police to show any interest.

Here's a relevant snippet from section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006:

2 Fraud by false representation

(1) A person is in breach of this section if he—

• (a) dishonestly makes a false representation, and 
• (b) intends, by making the representation—

•            (i) to make a gain for himself or another, or
•            (ii) to cause loss to another or to expose another to a risk of loss.

(2) A representation is false if—

• (a)  it is untrue or misleading, and 
• (b)  the person making it knows that it is, or might be, untrue or misleading.

...
(4) A representation may be express or implied.

Link: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/35/section/2