Nicolson, Chartered Accountants

49/50 Bayhead, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis HS1 2DZ

Scam alert - International Business & Trade Database

Many businesses will have received an invoice from the "International Business & Trade Database" - this is not worth the paper it is printed on, and we recommend that you throw it in the bin.

The telltale signs of a scan are:

• Letter posted in Prague (they were in Zug, Switzerland)
• Never heard of the database
• Unsolicited request to advertise
• You are asked to send funds to a bank in the Czech Republic
• Large fee for advertising (£395)
• Cancellation notice of 360 days required for the next years entry
• No clue as to how to access the information that is supposedly in the public domain
• Do a Google search!
• Have a look at the poor spelling and poor coding on the website front page.
• Finally, try and search for anything useful before deciding that BT or Yell are much better.

ENDS

Issued 12/06/06