Dear Colleagues
We have just been alerted by our Finance Department of some invoices and payment instructions supposedly coming from a supplier but which are actually fraudulent.
We have water dispensing outlets at a large number of locations around the Campus and, until recently, the water was supplied by Powwow. Our Finance Department received a letter on headed paper which appeared to come from Powwow stating that the debts due to Powwow Water Company Ltd had been transferred to Powwow Group Holdings Inc and had then been assigned to Ashton Beveridge. Our Finance Department had to ask for a couple of apparently missing invoices: these duly arrived and appeared to come from Powwow.
In checking the validity of the request to make payments to Ashton Beveridge, our Finance Department found the following:
BEWARE:- Ashton Beveridge is a bogus debt collection agency<http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?341110-BEWARE-Ashton-Beveridge-is-a-bogus-debt-collection-agency>
On looking at genuine invoices received in the past from Powwow, it was obvious that the copy invoices requested and received were not, in fact, genuine. The bank account details we were given for Ashton Beveridge are as follows:
Santander Business Banking
PO Box 383
21 Prestcott Street
London E1 8RP
Sort Code 09-01-27
Account 08311186
Regards.
Carolyn
Carolyn Runc, FCA
Head of Internal Audit
Vice-Chancellor's Office
Building 31
Cranfield University
Cranfield
Bedfordshire
MK43 0AL
Tel: 01234 754049 (direct line)
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