Another case of a suspected timber scamming fraud has been reported to TTJ by an Oxfordshire timber merchant.
Abingdon-based Acorn Timber Supplies Ltd, which raised the alarm about a fraud being attempted at a string of merchants at the end of 2011, said it had now been contacted by a company purporting to be Wolverhampton-based SMH Distribution.
Acorn’s David Keeling told TTJ that it received a faxed application to open a credit account, backed up by two references. Mr Keeling said the writing looked a bit suspicious and then a woman called to make sure Acorn had received the fax.
A check on the firm at Companies House and its registered number confirmed the existence of SMH Distribution but Mr Keeling noticed that the company’s main telephone and fax details were different from those on the credit account application.
He went through the motions of checking out the references and was told by the two companies – fixings supplier Würth UK and kitchen/bedroom component supplier TKC – that they had never done business with SMH.
“I have told the police,” said Mr Keeling, who is also warning other merchants.
Mr Keeling has had no further contact from the person behind the application.
The previous scam – from a person purporting to be the managing director of Newcastle construction firm MGM Ltd – was attempted at no fewer than six merchants, with one losing £2,000 worth of plywood and timber.
A police investigation is continuing into that case.
