This is a Public Service Announcement…
Yesterday, I endured the rigors of ‘part privatisation of a National Health Service’. Yes, a chauffeur driven limousine pulled up outside my house, precisely on time, in order to drive me in comfort some 100 miles to the specialist Cancer centre in Bordeaux; the scan was carried out within minutes of my arrival, leaving me half an hour to enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a fag before the consultant appeared smilingly at his door to greet me by name at the allotted time. I cannot tell you what hell and deprivations I must suffer now that I am safely out of the all embracing grasp of the NHS. Be warned, this is the sort of treatment you can expect for free if you allow the NHS to fall into the hands of those who operate for profit…
My chauffeur for the day was, as ever, the knee high to a grasshopper, medically trained, Sicilian hysteric. We giggled companionably as we passed the spot where his quick thinking quite literally saved my life last year. Just think, had I been in England, I could have been safely changing busses in some God forsaken bus station, struggling to get home alone, rather than risking my life under a part privatised service…
He had an interesting tale to tell over coffee. Do read on….
About three weeks ago, he received an e-mail from an English company asking his group of Taxis to quote for 4 taxis being at the disposition of four of their salesmen, visiting the area, for three weeks. They would need to be available for 8 hours a day, five days a week, and the English firm wanted to know his terms and conditions for supplying this facility.
He replied giving a detailed estimate which worked out at €6,000 Euros, and pointed out that the individual taxis would require payment on a daily basis.
To his utter amazement, the English firm had responded by sending a cheque to him for £12,500, three weeks in advance of the due date. ‘Why would they do that’ he demanded? Waving the cheque at me.
The cheque was drawn on a Lloyd’s TSB account. From the ‘High Street Slough’ branch. The first thing I noticed was the signature. It appeared to be signed by someone more used to writing in, say, Arabic. Not unusual from a Slough address, I pondered, but could be an attempt at money laundering. There was nothing else unusual about the cheque.
Whoever the signatory was, he was signing on behalf of ‘PRITCHI Ltd’. I borrowed my friends Samsung and looked up ‘PRITCHI Ltd’. The company was registered on the 13th September this year. Just three weeks ago. From an address given as ’8 CHADWICK TERRACE, ELTHAM GREEN ROAD, LONDON, ENGLAND, SE9 6AZ’ I looked again at the cheque. It was cheque No 15 that had been issued by the company. It seemed a little early to be throwing money around with such largesse. Could it be a stolen cheque?
Back home, I did some more detective work, and attempted to contact Lloyd’s TSB. Easier said than done. They don’t publish phone numbers for their branches and the call centre number they do publicise refuse to take your call unless you can provide them with your account number.
Eventually, I got through to their ‘security and fraud department‘ for internet banking fraud. They also refused to take my call unless I could give them an account number! I gave them the account number printed on the cheque – 3219266802 – ‘it wasn’t a valid account number’ they said – and hung up on me! Click! Doubly suspicious by now, I rang back, got a different operator and asked if she could confirm that 30-97-73 was the correct bank code for the High Street Slough branch. No, Data Protection Laws dictated that she couldn’t do that – and then she hung up on me too!
Smelling a blog post in this by now, I rang their press office. Politely explained that what had started out as an enquiry on behalf of a French speaking person in receipt of a cheque which might have been stolen, was in danger of turning into a rant at Lloyd’s TSB’s rude and unhelpful staff when someone attempted to report a possible attempt at money laundering. Would they be kind enough to give me their written response? They haven’t bothered to reply. They suggested that if I was ‘seriously concerned’ I should contact the Serious Fraud Squad and gave me the number….
I did. They only deal with fraud ‘over a million pounds’! They gave me the number for the ‘Action Fraud’ line which is apparently the correct place to report fraud these days – not directly to the police, nor the banks!
Action Fraud’s contact with the public is run by a private company called ‘bss’:
Award-winners in providing tailor-made customer contact solutions in the UK, we become the vital communication link between you and your customers. By harnessing our experience and expertise to create your tailor-made solution, you can be confident that we know what we are doing, and that your brand is in safe hands.
I had, by this time, via various nefarious methods, discovered that neither the cheque number, nor the sort code on this cheque was genuine. In other words it was a counterfeit cheque. Someone somewhere has discovered how to print perfectly genuine looking counterfeit cheques. Presumably, if these customers do turn up in three weeks time, they will ask to be reimbursed for the overpayment… Personally, I doubt that they will turn up. I reckon the next contact will be to say that they cannot make the engagement, and will the taxi firm accept half payment for their trouble and return the rest of the money to an account which will be closed approximately 10 seconds after the money hits the account? It would have bankrupted this small firm if they had fallen for this scam.
Whether the firm of PRITCHI ltd is genuine or even aware of the use to which the name of their new company is being put, I have no idea. If they wish to contact me to put the record straight on their behalf, my e-mail address is on the contact page.
If on the other hand, you have been offered a cheque from account number 3219266802 ostensibly from the firm of PRITCHI Ltd, be aware that it is counterfeit; also be aware that the only people even vaguely interested in such a crime being committed, are neither the Police nor Lloyd’s TSB, but a private ‘award winning’ company who will protect your ‘brand image’ – called ‘bss’…
Quite extraordinary. I have at least ensured that the next person who googles PRITCHI Ltd will at least come up with this blog post at the top of their results – and be warned!
October 7, 2012 at 11:55
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On a practical level, as a former business owner, continually dealing with
the cash flow daemon, any cheque received over a £1,000 and its out with the
paying in book, , on with the ‘blues and twos’ and off to the local Lloyds to
bank it !
- October 7, 2012 at 09:29
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I saw an article in a good quality newspaper once that SE28 was the capital
of fraud in the UK.SE9 is next door.SE28 is Thamesmead and it is very
“vibrant” and “diverse”.
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October 6, 2012 at 21:38
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Anna, I’m surprised you’re getting the ‘data protection’ excuse from the
bank concerning Sort Codes; they’re pretty much public records. I used to have
a dog-eared copy of a sort code directory when I was a wee young ‘un. I was
just so geeky even then.
I do though second Don’s post above and the link to a validation website
for future reference. The site correctly flagged up your posted sort code and
account number as invalid.
Also, to any interested parties… you own bank will be able to validate a
branch/account number even those held with another bank.
But as always, an illuminating post that carries warnings for anyone in
business.
- October 6,
2012 at 03:38
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Dealing with Lloyds-TSB is like dealing with a a dysfunctional government
department .. oh wait …
- October 6, 2012 at 09:43
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Been with Lloyds since Martins gave me a hard time in 1964. Never had any
problems, despite many house moves both in and out of England, and one or
two sticky times.
On the rare occasions I need to visit a branch, the one
in my village is always friendly and helpful. When my wife died they were
superb.
Just a comment for balance, I have no connection to banking.
- October 5, 2012 at 23:36
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I wondered what the second ‘s’ in bss stood for.
- October
5, 2012 at 20:26
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Our police are clearly proving themselves to be a laughing stock. Perhaps
they should be privatised?
Oh shit! Hang on – that’s called G4S……
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October 5, 2012 at 19:47
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Banks don’t want to know.
A few years ago when I was a cheque signatory for a club, I took my details
to Barclays as requested. They lost them. But I did get a sudden slew of
emails purporting to be about “your account” that claimed to be from
Barclays.
A couple of weeks later I took a new set of forms to the bank. I got a
sudden glut of emails for a couple of days from ‘Barclays’.
I got married
and changed my name. I filled in forms. I got lots of emails from the bank.
The bank lost my details.
I filled in new forms a few weeks later. More
emails. I told Barclays.
“Why are you telling us this?” the teller asked.
I explained that
clearly their information was not as secure as they might think because I only
got emails pretending to be from Barclays when I’d just handed in my forms.
“Oh, OK,” she said.
“Aren’t you going to do anything?” I asked.
“No,”
she replied, “I don’t think there’s a problem.”
I have never personally banked with Barclays, thank goodness. Never will,
now.
- October 5, 2012 at 19:00
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My alarm bells started ringing as soon as I read ‘Eltham Green Road’
- October 6, 2012 at 10:15
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It is indeed interesting how many businesses concerned with Africa there
are in SE9 6AZ particularly in the region of Chadwick Terrace, such as the
Nikit Orphanage.
http://www.nikitorphanage.org/About-Us.html
- October 5,
2012 at 14:51
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And printing counterfeit cheques is easy with photoshoppy software and an
ordinary printer. These criminals got away with it for a while :
- October 5,
2012 at 14:43
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So Action Fraud has a private-sector portal just like 999 calls are
answered in the first instance by phone company operators before being
forwarded to the relevant emergency service operator. Isn’t that a Good Thing
because the good, efficient private sector is used instead of the bad, lazy
public sector? And isn’t the position with cheques the same as with fake
money, ie it is your responsibility to diligently check that you aren’t
accepting a washer or a sheet of lo oroll? It’s good to be self-reliant and
free of government agencies, except, of course, when you need help from
them.
It might be interesting to download the Companies House webcheck
paperwork (only £1 a form) to see who is behind Prichi Ltd and then cross
check with their disqualified directors database (free) and bankruptcy checker
on the Insolvency Service website.
- October 5, 2012 at 12:54
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Fraudsters not pursued by our rulers or by the banks?
When you look at who runs our government, and who runs our banks, it is
hardly surprising.
Bears don’t investigate sylvan defecation…
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October 5, 2012 at 11:39
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Put the cheque into a Lloyds account, see what happens.
- October 5, 2012 at 11:33
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what really pisses me off is the jobsworths who say “we can’t speak to you
because of Dataaaa Securiteeeee”
yet some call centres stand out as being responsive and willing to help –
The RAC is particularly good. As is YBS. Lloyds – not so much…
- October 5, 2012 at 11:10
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From bitter recent experience, NatWest are no better
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October 5, 2012 at 09:07
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Nice work, Sherlock
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October 5, 2012 at 08:53
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Blimey.
When you think of the stupid, pointless, time-wasting, sh*t we have to put
up with when trying to open a bank account, all in the name of “preventing
money-laundering”, and here is someone reporting an actual case of fraud or
something, right under their noses, and nobody can be arsed to take an
interest?
What is wrong with these people?
- October 5, 2012 at 08:09
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Gosh, Anna is Miss Marple. I claim my 5 Euros.
- October 5, 2012 at 00:39
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Gosh! It is all like the spy stories of old.
- October 4,
2012 at 23:05
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UK bank account numbers only have eight digits: the final 02 appears on all
cheques I believe and is something to do with the way they’re cleared and
processed and I think if you look closely you should find they’re separated
from the first 8 digits by a marker character. So the sort code and account
number combination on that cheque is 30-97-73 32192668
If you input those details on the Bank Account Validation demo at
http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/demos/bankvalidator.aspx
they
come up with a match (Lloyds TSB – Slough). The account may well be iffy
and/or the cheque itself forged or stolen, of course.
- October 4, 2012 at 22:41
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Strange that the police have the time to investigate a 30+ year old crimes
of a high profiled deceased person – but are not interested in fraud happening
today. Maybe the case just was not glitzy enough, no headlines, papers,
interviews and career enhancing opportunities.
- October 4, 2012 at 22:28
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Coincidentally, the Lloyds Bank Staff Benevolent fund, the Vassar-Smith
Fund, is held at that branch.
http://www.vassarsmithfund.co.uk/donating
You can also donate by Bank Giro Credit (BGC) directly to the Fund’s
account using the following details:
Sort code: 30-97-73
Account Number: 0155016
Bank: Lloyds
TSB
Branch: High St Slough Branch, 123 High Street, Slough SL1 1DH
It’s a registered charity, 236381, but I don’t feel any great need to
donate to this one.
- October 4, 2012 at 18:16
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http://findsortcodes.co.uk/results.php?post=Submit+your+choices&searchstring=30-97-73
I tried this service and got the Slough Central result BUT I think that is
a catchall because the address is given as Sheldon, Birmingham and I think
that branch closed many years ago.
Banks do change addresses but keep the same sort codes sometimes.
- October 4, 2012 at 20:55
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Further thoughts: Having checked the sort code for my current account I
think the database is listing the address of the branch AND the clearing
centre for the bank i.e. cheques no longer make their way back to the local
branch but are cleared centrally.
- October 4, 2012 at 15:40
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Wasn’t the person who headed up LLoyds anti-fraud unit just convicted of
fraud herself?
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October 4, 2012 at 15:31
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Anna: If you wish to follow this through, you can use my Lloyds banking
details to do so (you’ll have to talk to them in a deep voice so maybe Himself
will have to be enlisted)
I hate these scammy scummy bastards.
- October 4, 2012 at 15:27
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Same customer service you get from any big financial organisation and one
of the better ones will be going down hill soon
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/9961409.Nationwide_set_to_send_jobs_to_India/?ref=mr
However I can confirm the 309773 is Slough Central branch
- October 4, 2012 at 14:46
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It is so obvious from the way the police cannot be bothered is because of
producer capture of the police it’s all just too much hard bloody work.
- October 4, 2012 at 14:46
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Just to add to the general confusion, I used to deal with a firm called BSS
– British Steam Supplies. They were (still are) factors for industrial
pipework supplies – valves, pressure gauges, screwed end pipe and all sorts of
other boring engineering hardware. They’ve been in business since Adam was a
lad. I wonder if anybody ever rings them up wanting to report suspected
illegal monetary activity?
- October 5, 2012 at 08:36
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Boswhite.
{ 31 comments }