Kids Safe Campaign Scam

wary

This may not apply to everyone as I think I was only targeted because I used to own a company that actually ceased trading some time ago.

Earlier this week, I received a call from a female called Sammy who knew my name, company name & address. She claimed that a colleague (Katie) had spoken to me on 8 February, when I had agreed to sponsor their "Kids Safe campaign". As a result, they'd printed all of the literature (or whatever) in the company's name, and they were about to send it to me along with the invoice.

I told her that she must be mistaken but she was adamant that it was me, and that I should now be honouring my commitment. What's more, she had a recording of the conversation to prove it. I told her it was clearly a scam and threatened to report it to the police, but she was very cocky, saying that I should also give a copy of the recorded conversation to the police, which would prove her correct.

I tried to find out more about them. She said the company was called Martinos, based in Manchester, although she later described it as being a "campaign" rather than a company as such. During the conversation, I did a google and a YELL.COM which turned up nothing, although she talked her way around this. She refused to give their address, saying it will be on the literature that they're about to send. But she gave me a number – 0845 7422 838 – which I later dialled to discover it was not genuine.

She was cocky throughout, and her answer to everything was the fact that they had a taped conversation as proof. When I started asking her more awkward questions about this campaign - why they'd set it up, where they operate from ... she decided to end the conversation, saying that I'd be receiving the stuff in the post, along with an invoice and the recording.

Of course I very much doubt whether I'll really receive anything. Rather, they probably decided to move onto the next company in the hope that they will give her the benefit of the doubt, and honour this supposed company promise to sponsor what is a worthwhile campaign.

trisontana

This sounds very much like a variation on the old scam whereby tradespeople are invited to take out advertising space in publications that are supposed to be distributed to schools, or police and firemen. Very few, if any, copies of this journal are ever printed, and the supposed recipients never receive them.

Even when people say they just want more details before committing themselves (to placing an ad) they are being hounded for payment, with threats of debt collectors, and talk of supposed proof of a firm contract on a recorded telephone conversation. In one case the company running the scam also ran a debt collecting agency. One representative of this agency was filmed by Watchdog issuing nasty threats to somebody who would not pay.

In the end the DTI closed down both the main firm and the debt collectors,a s they have done with numerous similar companies. Most of which seem to be based in the north-west of England.

Your best bet is to contact Trading Standards in Manchester and tell them what is going on. I imagine they have had lots of experience with similar companies, and will know what to do. Best of luck.

wary

Thanks for the info. I have e-mailed Manchester TS as you suggest.

It never occurred to me that they may pursue me with debt collectors & threats. But I think I took a hard enough line for them to leave me alone. At the moment I've no idea who they are, and given that I was threatening them with the police, I think they'd prefer to keep it that way.

It's interesting that you mention trades people being targeted to take out advertising space in publications for the police. My wife runs her own business and had a call the very same day, for advertising in a police community news magazine. She declined their offer.

maninthestreet

You may find the debt collection agency they use are just another department of the same scam operation.

hollydays

If you do a webcheck with companies house there are a couple of companies with the name Martinos.One,in London,Martinos media limited-their postcode EC1 4PY- if you google the word scam together with that postcode you get quite a few hits for other offices (600 plus?) based out of that postcode.

Clearly if they were to dispute it,it would not be a matter for the Police as this would be a civil matter if what they were saying WAS true.

If you took them to court,you could point out you did not give them permission to record your conversation.

The whole thing sounds like an elaborate scam

expect more calls.

wary

Good bit of investigation HollyDays. Coincidentally, this compay was incorporated just 3 days before the date they claim to have first called me.

The postcode is actually EC1V 4PY (you missed the V), and yes, a Google points to a large number of scams from a large number of companies.

It may be just a holding address rather than a real office. A search on the UK company records shows over 600 companies registered at the postal code EC1V 4PY (145-157 St John Street).
http://www.ukdata.com/creditreports/comp...

But the company who phoned me are from Manchester so I don't think it was this lot that phoned me.

I'm reporting it to BBC Watchdog. Are there any other investigative bodies or authorities that this kind of thing should be reported to?

hollydays

I think trading standards have a link called rip-off tip off,where you can report it online

bakerlad1983

i use to work for one of these type companies when i was younger, they were/are bases in merseyside area. I designed the adverts to appear in a "local publication" and each advert costed about £300. They promised to do adverts but i was there 6 months and nothing was produced at all. In the end i left as didnt want to be part of this.

asahatter

Our friends at Martinos have just tried the same thing on me, and naturally I've reported it to Trading Standards. £550 for 120 books, which I am supposed to have ordered on 8th February... Ring any bells.

The "manager" hung up on me after I said I wanted a copy of the contract detailing my agreement, but they listed their address as 40, Princess St, Manchester.

hollydays

asahatter wrote: »

Our friends at Martinos have just tried the same thing on me, and naturally I've reported it to Trading Standards. £550 for 120 books, which I am supposed to have ordered on 8th February... Ring any bells.

The "manager" hung up on me after I said I wanted a copy of the contract detailing my agreement, but they listed their address as 40, Princess St, Manchester.

According to Royal Mail,a number (about 10) companies operate from this address,including Mckeown Harkinson Solicitors,who specialise in fraud and deception amonst other things.Under this heading they give a fairly comprehensive explaination of these two offences. In theory then,they are Martinos Management Limited,company incorporated on 16th april 2008 and directors details changed 3 times.

trisontana

hollydays wrote: »

According to Royal Mail,a number (about 10) companies operate from this address,including Mkceown Harkinson Solicitors,who specialise in fraud and deception amonst other things.Unde this heading they give a fairly comprehensive explaination of these two offences..interesting..

This sounds like the old West Midlands Police "Serious Crime-Squad" which, it turned out, had committed half the serious crimes in the West-Midlands!

There have been cases of bent solicitors. One notable example is a very large firm of solicitors in Leeds who were acting as British agents for one of those "Boiler Room" scams operating out of Spain.