Independent Garage Association: Alert to Independent Garage Owners – Beware of Misleading Invoices

Independent Garage Association: Alert to Independent Garage Owners – Beware of Misleading Invoices

Scams

The IGA (Independent Garage Association) works closely with the IPO (Intellectual Property Office) and other organisations to ensure we are up to date with all the latest scams and can keep members informed. This helps us provide the most accurate and timely information, safeguarding our members and their businesses from potential threats.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has issued a fresh warning regarding misleading payment requests targeting customers. We urge all our independent garage owner members to stay vigilant and report any suspicious invoices to the IPO immediately.

A list of all current scams we are aware of can be found on the IGA website: https://independentgarageassociation.co.uk/trade-topics/industry-scams/.

Key Points:

  • Surge in Reports: Recent figures show a 63% increase in misleading payment requests reported by customers compared to the same period last year.
  • Updated Guidance: The IPO has published updated guidance and released new images to help customers identify misleading invoices.
  • Immediate Action: Customers should not pay these invoices and should report them to the IPO without delay. Suspected fraud should also be reported to the police.

Details:

The IPO has highlighted a concerning rise in unsolicited payment requests, often disguised as invoices for trade marks, designs, or patent services. These fraudulent invoices may promise services that are either never delivered or of negligible value, such as inclusion on an unrecognised ‘exclusive online register’.

Other scams involve invoices demanding inflated prices for services that the IPO offers at a significantly lower cost, or even free of charge. Typically, these requests originate from unfamiliar organisations, sometimes accompanied by falsified agreements intended to deceive accounts departments into approving payments.

Key Advice from the IPO:

  • Identify Misleading Invoices: The IPO has provided examples of reported misleading invoices and an updated list of names used by these fraudulent organisations.
  • Increased Reporting: From April to June 2024, the IPO received 138 reports of misleading payment requests, up from 85 in the same period last year. Overall, there have been 169 reports in 2024 so far, compared to 278 throughout 2023.

 Statements from Authorities:

Caroline Rich, Head of Customer Experience at the IPO, stressed the importance of vigilance, noting the sophisticated nature of recent scams. “Do not pay such invoices, and always report them to the IPO,” she advised. Customers with doubts about any payment request should contact the IPO directly. Fraud victims should report incidents to the police.

Temporary Assistant Commissioner Nik Adams of the City of London Police added, “Do not respond to, click on links in, or pay invoices you suspect to be scams. Report fraud to Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report directly to Police Scotland by calling 101.”

Reporting and Assistance:

  • Report Misleading Invoices: Send copies of suspicious invoices to misleadinginvoices@ipo.gov.uk. The IPO will respond accordingly.
  • Action Fraud: Customers can also report misleading invoices through Action Fraud’s online reporting tool and inform their local Trading Standards office.
  • Victims of Fraud: Report incidents to the police via Action Fraud.

Note to Members: Unsolicited organisations frequently change their names. Please send any suspicious payment requests to misleadinginvoices@ipo.gov.uk for verification, regardless of whether the name is listed.

Credit: This information is sourced from the IPO (Intellectual Property Office). For further details, visit the IPO’s official website: IPO Issues Fresh Warning to Beware of Misleading Invoices.

Stay alert and protect your business from fraud.

Independent Garage Association