Potential Scam - Any History? Apex Management Solutions

Sportyrich2000

This may be a legitimate company but I would like to know if it is a possible scam. I recently received an email from this company stating that they are debt collecitng on behalf of someone else. I have no idea what this is and am concerned at the legitimacy. They state they have sent previous correspondence which I haven't had and are now stating that I am to be Court Summoned for the debt. They have also attached a 'court summons' but there is no court reference on it and no claimant details. They have also refused to put a stall on the proceedings and have ignored my requests for the information I am entitled to about the debt.

Has anyone else dealt with them and was it a scam or is it just bullying tactics? I have sent them an email today more formally demanding a halt and asking for the information and will be reporting them to the Financial Ombudsman too. Action Fraud said they couldn't help

eskbanker

Just had a quick search on the name and it appears that there are two unrelated companies using the name…

Apex Management Solutions Ltd https://apexltd.org.uk/

seems to be a Liverpool-based provider of transport services, and are the company registered as owning the name at Companies House, and are also listed with the ICO for data protection purposes.

The other company apparently using the name is https://www.apexmanagementsolutions.co.uk/

but a cursory look at their privacy policy, legal terms, etc, fails to unearth any sign of a company reference number, etc, and the inclusion of various other company names that haven't been replaced is a strong red flag.

Neither appears on the FCA register so they won't be within FOS's scope.

Based on what you say, it sounds like you've been contacted by the latter but does any of the paperwork clarify exactly who they are?

AdrianMessenger

This sounds a little like my current dilemma - addressed on another forum here.

I had an email from a debt collection agency, a well known one. I was suspicious because nothing had been received by mail. Contact with the DCA and credit card company involved always stalled because they demand my postcode and DOB before answering any queries. I won't give out details to strangers...!

I escalated somewhat to their 'executive' team with little sense or progress from their side. It goes without saying, the debt isn't mine. Multiple credit checks confirm this. I have details ongoing with the FOS - they have a portal called Connect.

As your contact with them is currently email only, I would think avoiding giving any other details especially addresses and DOB is best for now. Even the 'court' attachment sounds dodgy.

user1977

They have also refused to put a stall on the proceedings 

There are no "proceedings" in any legal sense, they've just written to you asking for money and giving some threats about court. They can't pursue a court action without justifying what the supposed debt is.

If it makes no sense to you then it is likely to be a fishing exercise aimed at somebody else with a similar name.

Sportyrich2000

Thanks all. I thought so in terms of phishing but wanted to see if anyone else had any experiences. I have searched on companies house as well and everything I have about them and found out about them screams phishing. However Action Fraud said they couldn;t do anything which raised my thoughts that it could be legit.

eskbanker - it is the 2nd one from the logo you have put in. And no there is no calrity from anything they have sent. In fact they have stated they don't want email correspondence but have only contacted by email so far! They have said they have sent letters but have not

sheramber

How have they got your email address?

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82038772#Comment_82038772

Action Fraud has been renamed to Report Fraud, which is a more accurate name for them, as they never actually conducted any sort of investigating and simply coordinated the forwarding of fraud data to real police forces, so don't read anything into their response!

Check your credit files just in case there is any sign of an unexpected debt on those, but otherwise ignore this unless and until you receive anything from an actual court…

sourcrates

Can you copy and paste the contents of the email on here, and I can tell you if its a scam or not.

I`m already 99% certain that it is, as you are never summonsed to court for consumer credit debt.

Civil procedure rules are set in law by parliament, you first receive a letter before action, a document designed to avoid the matter going to court, but let’s say they didn`t bother with that, you would still have been sent a claim pack in the post containing the following forms:

• N1 Money Claim Form: Used to initiate a money claim in the County Court. 
• N210C Acknowledgment of Service: Used to acknowledge service of a claim. 
• N9A Admission Form: Used to reply to a claim if you agree to pay the amount but wish to make an offer to pay in instalments. 
• N9B Defence/Counterclaim Form: Used to reply to a claim when you do not agree that you owe what the creditor says you do. 

It would not come by email.

Cleanjeans

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6672945/potential-scam-any-history-apex-management-solutions

Hello,

Please do NOT pay them!

The debt letter my Son received from Apex has no companies house number or FCA number. However, companies house number is 16224070. The 124 City Road, London address is a virtual office only.

The court claim form (N1)  has no stamp, its just a single sheet and dated 2014 on the bottom. The current one on Gov.co.uk to download is 5 pages long and has a 2024 date.

I went on the Apex website, again no HC number or FCA number. Website is dated 2024.
I looked on the Apex webpage to see the testimonials and case studies. I cross referenced these to companies house information. The names on the testimonials did not match the names of companies, all bar one of the companies had been dissolved between 2011 to 2023. One of the case studies companies was dissolved in 2024. A company set up in 2025 isn't going to use testimonials from companies dissolved years prior. I also checked on the debt collectors register, George Ramsbottom does not exist. Apex stated to me that they need no FCA number. By email, they will reply using a single sentence, if at all. If you phone, they will abuse/ridicule you.

Blueprint foundation CIC is used by 'a child's wish' (a registered Charity, number  1192870), to 'produce' magazines, where the ads produce revenue for the charity.

However, digging a little deeper into a child's wish, one of the trustees (since Dec, 2020, which is when the charity was set up) is Ryan Alexander Bell. He set the charity up with a woman called Natalie Farmer (who happens have the same corresponding address as Mr Bell's long time associate, Andrew Lownsbrough, who also worked at Apex).

This is the same, Ryan Alexander Bell, who owns Apex management solutions.
(Sidenote - even their emails are similar info@wishcometrue.org.uk and info@apexmanagement.co.uk)

I have given more info than this to trading standards and CAB and FCA. I was unable to locate any information on who owns blueprint.

On the FCA website Apex managements(s) are listed as a scam.

Therefore, RYAN ALEXANDER BELL, owns both a child's wish and Apex.