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

 

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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