The National Intelligence Bureau is advising of telephone fraudsters posing as legitimate debt collection/enforcement companies threatening victims with court action in order to force them to pay a phantom debt.

The current specific method being employed by the fraudsters is that a victim receives a phone call from someone claiming to represent a debt recovery agency chasing a debt on behalf of The Business Directory for money owed for advertising space. The caller, who according to reports goes by the name “Derek Jones”, threatens legal action by the Birkenhead County Court if payment is not made. To add further plausibility to the story, the caller claims that the victim’s business made a one off payment to the Business Directory at some stage in the past and was contractually obliged to make repeat payments on a monthly basis. The caller goes on to pressurize the victim into transferring funds into a specified bank account in order to settle a debt.

Police alert the public to this fraud, and ask anyone affected by it or any other scam to report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visit www.actionfraud.police.uk