Comments for Adscams.co.uk - Charity Advertising Scam Warning

Comment on School Books Scam by M Pickering

M Pickering — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:02:15 +0000

Hi – just received an aggressive call today from Ben saying I had agreed to advertise in a Safety Awareness magazine (I hadn’t) & then I looked up the ad I had placed for a year planner with them & the company Excel Media is mentioned in previous emails! I have lost £94 but will never advertise over the telephone again. I was caught before by the sounds of it with a drug awareness booklet being sent to a school of my choice – I had the booklet but I bet they didn’t! I wondered why they didn’t ring me to say thanks!!! Luckily that was not my own company but now I am self employed I cannot afford to keep getting scammed.

Comment on Crime Prevention Booklet by Kay

Kay — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:56:22 +0000

Sounds like I had the same guy as Phil!

Called ‘Graham’ but with a strong scouse accent, and offered to buy me a drink next time he was in my area! Cheeky git.

Said I’d agreed to advertising with them in May for £195 + VAT. Know damn well I hadn’t – already had 2 similar companies try it in April, so knew the drill.

He then rang back to offer me a ‘reduced’ price which had been cleared with his boss (they do try hard don’t they), to which I lost my temper and said I’d never agreed to it and told him he was a scouse scamming b******. He then said ‘he didn’t want my money’ as I’d accused him of being a scammer for no good reason!!

Unfortunately they have my home phone number and address from some of my advertising on Yell.com – that’s the only place. So I’m now waiting for the threatening legal letters and phone calls to start. They can try, but are not going to get anywhere!

Was from the same number as Corrine stated: 01512 361846

Comment on www.Adscams.co.uk – Relaunch as a blog by Jane

Jane — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:25:19 +0000

Fatih
We recieved exactly the same invoice last week. It is a 100% scam. I rang them and told them that we do not pay anything without a purchase order and signature. The line went quiet after that and he told me he would do me a favour and cancel the invoice – Ha! Someone else also suggested asking for proof of circulation figures from a recognized industry source. He told me about the voice recording too, but I told him that could be any Tom, Dick or Harry saying my employee’s name. Don’t let them suck you into calling you back with the recording either. I have reported to Consumer Direct in Liverpool – 08454040506 and also Action Fraud 0300123 2040. I would suggest you do too so they can build a case against them. Hope this helps!!

Comment on Police Advertising Scam – Their NOT the police by Dan Jennings

Dan Jennings — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:00:46 +0000

Just been called by “Alex Brown” with Northern accent. When I said that I was unaware about previous activity by my company because I had only been around from January he rang off saying he was just calling to say thankyou. I have had similar calls over the last few years in previous jobs but was not sure it was a scam until now. It’s amazing they get away with it for so long.

Comment on SCAM: National Crime Prevention Booklet by admin

admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:12:41 +0000

Hi Panache,

Thank you for the comment; it is a good comment and it does raise some good points.

However :-

For the person/company being “scammed” to get to this point they would have to “accept” and “agree” to what the person is saying on the phone. The tactic they commonly use against anyone is to record the calls and claim they have recordings to proove the person they called “agreed and accepted” what they were “selling” (advertising/support)

This can then put the scammed person in a difficult position and the “scammers” could legally argue that the person they are chasing for money “agreed” to pay.

Adscams

Comment on SCAM: National Crime Prevention Booklet by Panache

Panache — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:58:23 +0000

Some edits to my previous comment: (btw, webmaster, your temporary edit link doesn’t allow me to edit! It says I’m not authorised)

What I don’t get is this: you people are in a position to obtain ALL the details FROM these scammers (I’m not, because I don’t own a small business, so I was not targeted) since these scammers would OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO give you at least SOME contact details of where to send your money: an address (even if it’s just a PO Box) to send your cheque to, or a bank account for you to deposit your “sponsorship” money to, so why don’t you play along and obtain these details (as many as you can, the more the better, get both a physical address, telling them you’ll send a cheque, then tell them it would actually be more convenient for you to deposit the money directly into their account, I’m sure they’ll salivate at that prospect) and then pass all those details onto the fraud desk of you local constabulary??

I’m sure the REAL police can EASILY and fairly cheaply set up a sting operation to catch them. Yet all you do is try to pick holes in their stories and expose them as scammers on the phone! No! What use is that, apart from you feeling a bit happy and superior that you’ve “told them”.

They are clearly laughing at you and still all the way to the bank.
Then they just keep on doing this until someone falls for it and it never ends.

Help catch them! It will feel much more satisfying too.

Comment on Crime Prevention Booklet by Derek (Primary School Principal)

Derek (Primary School Principal) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:41:45 +0000

I was telephoned by Michael Tomklinson from Blue Line stating that we were due ‘Thank-You’ certicates relating to our participation Crime Prevention programme. They required £155 for advertising purposes!

Having read some of the comments above, and as a Principal of a Primary School, it appears that anyone is fair game for this scam! They are persistent though – that was three calls this morning just to get to speak to me!

Have been in touch with my community police officer so I’m looking forward to them ringing back again!

Comment on SCAM: National Crime Prevention Booklet by bryn

bryn — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:40:18 +0000

we have been contacted by the drugs awareness campaign today and also the child protection network its now getting beyond a joke something needs to be done about this. The start of the conversation congratulates us on the supporting them last time, and now the paymant is due for the latest advert we had agreed to do with them.

Comment on Police Advertising Scam – Their NOT the police by ben walker

ben walker — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:22:26 +0000

wow!
im so glad i searched google and this came up i was just about to pay for this scam!
i am a small business owner in gateshead tyne and wear,
they told me i was going to be the only business of my type to be published which sounded good.
however they asked me for a memorable 4 digit number he said most people used there date of birth as it was easy to remember as soon as he asked that i knew something was fishy and gave him a bogus number.
thank you very much to all that have posted on here as i could also have been scammed!
i have agreed to use the service have 7 days to cancel but they have not left me with any contact details to do so.

they must be the same group as liverpool accents!

Comment on Crime Prevention Booklet by Robert Davies

Robert Davies — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:41:47 +0000

OK so I thought that these wastes of skin had forgotten about me – not that I am too bothered anyway – but alas they must be bored so they send me another letter , red border looks dead official (laugh) demanding that I pay them monies or my goods will be ‘executed’ and stating that they already have a court order.

Laugh again.

Perhaps I should write to them and ask for a copy of this mystery court order that I have heard nothing about.

I love it – every letter they send me I just add to my dossier, which is getting quite thick now.

Wonder whats next? Feels nice to be wanted.

I have some monopoly money spare thinking of posting it to them along with a cheque signed M. Mouse counter signed by S.Claus.

To anyone on here worried by these scum – don’t be!

The VERY best thing would be for them to apply to a court to issue a small claims against you. The court people judge both sides (it’s all very informal and not scary at all – unfortunately I have a few experiences of small claims courts bad payers etc.) and then the court make a common sense judgment about who gets paid and who dosen’t.

Anyone with half a brain cell can see that these guys at blueline publications are scammers – and do you REALLY think that this scum would turn up at a court?

Let the demands keep coming and just ignore them. When they ring try to get as MUCH information about them as you can and if possible record the call. Just let them know that you are recording the call first!

These people are just trying it on and will attempt to bully you into making payment.

DO NOT PAY ANYTHING, ASK FOR PROOF OF CIRCULATION FROM A RECOGNISED GOVERNMENT BODY, DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY PERSONAL DETAILS OR PAYMENT DETAILS, ASK FOR COPIES OF INVOICES FROM PRINTERS AND CONTACT THE PRINTERS

YOU owe them NOTHING, YOU have CONTROL.

They are not a publishing company, they have no website and people have even visited their ‘offices’ which are empty.

Fear not, what comes around goes around, these guys will get their collars felt soon.