Fraud Alert
Accommodation Addresses, Office Services and Mail Services - Virtual Offices
Any person or business wishing to use the facilities of an office, telephone answering service, or postal address can do this through a third party. These are known as accommodation addresses, business centres, postal addresses, serviced offices or collectively ‘Virtual Offices’.
These services provide businesses of all sizes a place to either meet clients, have a call answering service or to have letters sent to which are then forwarded on to another address.
The majority of businesses using ‘Virtual offices’ are honest and legitimate. Although this type of facility can be misused by criminals hiding behind a legitimate front in order to trick unsuspecting victims into purchasing goods or services that will never arrive.
How can I take precautions to prevent myself from becoming a victim?
- Use an internet search engine to check the company name
- Go on to the Companies House website www.companieshouse.gov.uk. You can type into the search bar the company name. See how long they have been registered / trading. You can also see if they have submitted any company accounts.
- Use a credit reference agency check
- Call the phone numbers provided to see who answers
- Visit the company address
Other fraud alert pages give information about frauds that may be utilising a virtual office:
- Advance Fee Fraud – Paying money for a promise of wealth (419 Fraud)
- Criminal Cash-Back, Cheque/Draft Overpayments, Shipping and Escrow fraud
- Company Fraud and Company Identity/Impersonation Fraud
- Investment, Share, Land, Wine and other High Yield investment Fraud
- Lotteries, prizes, awards , miracle cures, clairvoyants and other scams. - Mass Market Fraud
- Money Transfer – Advice when sending money to somebody you don’t know
- Unwanted and Unsolicited Mail, Marketing and Telephone Calls.
- Working from home scams/financial intermediaries – Money Mules