Head Office: +44 (0)1782 205000
Altrincham: +44 (0)161 929 8494
27/07/2015
A new scam/fraud has been reported, taking place locally, and involving individuals purporting to be bailiffs/enforcement officers. They telephone to say that they will be arriving shortly at the premises to seize goods or obtain payment in relation to an outstanding Court judgment.
The timing of the scam is after 4pm, which means that it isn’t possible to verify any of the information at Court.
The scam involves several aggressive telephone calls in advance, with threats to attend the premises with several vans and numerous persons to forcibly enter premises which may then be accompanied by a call from a withheld number saying that the process can be halted if a payment – acceptable to the phoney claimant and which in the case that we dealt with earlier this week was for approximately two thirds of the sum alleged to be outstanding – is made by card payment over the telephone
Gareth Wilkinson of Beswicks dealt with such a case for a client last week. The initial demand was for £60,000.
Gareth warns: “It is possible for Court documents to sometimes slip through the net and the individual might sound genuine and calm at first, but increasingly aggressive if or when challenged. When we eventually spoke to the purported bailiff/enforcement officer in this case he wasn’t able to correctly identify a number of key procedural requirements and documents which led us to conclude that this was most likely a potential fraud. The threat to enter our clients premises continued and therefore we attended our clients premises and the Police were alerted. Ultimately the purported bailiff/enforcement officer didn’t show up.
Recent legislation has introduced new procedural hurdles to enforce court judgments against business assets which have to be followed in most, but not every, case.
If you are in any doubt as to the validity of any contact that you may receive then please do contact us and if threats to enter are being made then you should consider calling the Police”
If you require any assistance or advice please contact Gareth Wilkinson on gareth.wilkinson@beswicks.com at Beswicks Legal or call 01782 205000.
