Is the European Trade Register just another ‘misleading contract’ business directory scam?
As always, you – the Great Googling General public – will decide.
If you’ve received an invitation from European Trade Register to ‘update your details for free’ in any so-called business directory (particularly if it has a 3 part name in the following format:
[Europe / European / World / Global] [Company / Trade / Business] [Directory / Register]
then just bin it.
It will undoubtedly be one of a growing number of scams which all follow the same formula: make you think you’re getting a free listing then hit you with a demand for payment (usually for 3 years at €980 a year). The pressure then increases to threats of ‘court action’ from people passing themselves off as debt collectors – with the aim of scaring people so much that they’ll settle for paying ‘just’ a single year to get these people off their backs.
That’s €980 for doing nothing but mass mailing a form, sending threatening letters and making some bullying phone calls. Easy money for European Trade Register, no?
If you HAVE fallen for it, don’t give in to the pressure. You’ll start getting demands from people pretending to be ‘debt collectors’ (in this case under the fake name ‘Walberg & Hirsch’) trying to (lols) ‘mediate’ on behalf of their client. Make no mistake – these are the same people as ‘European Trade Register’.
For immediate reassurance, please read all the comments on the following threads on my site:
(…and any number of other sites dealing with every possible variant of these names. Use Google to learn more).
If you’re here because you’ve been hit by the European Trade Register scam, then please consider adding your experience using the comments link below to help to reassure others in future who will arrive here worrying about threats of legal action.
Remember, the power lies with YOU and the truth.
PS – if we’ve saved you €980 or helped end your worries, please support our work by clicking through to our sponsor sites (under our picture on the right there –>). Thank you!
I was suckered by the Expo Guide scam, and now receive endless threatening letters from them, which I read with growing amusement and disdain. Meanwhile, why not consider countering receipt of any email from World Trade Register or any similar scammer with the following:
Please remove my email address from your database. I do not wish to place my details on your register.
If you fail to do this and I receive further email communication inviting registration on World Trade Register from your company, I shall understand that you consent to pay me administrative charges for receiving and processing such communication. World Trade Register will therefore agree to pay me £995 to read and process each email that it sends to me and if such payment is not made upon receipt of my invoice, I shall pursue settlement and all legal costs associated therewith via the courts.
Unless I receive alternative terms from World Trade Register, the above terms will be understood to be acceptable, and further emails inviting me to update my information will be charged for as described.
Yours sincerely
Hi Giles – thanks for your comment.
I don’t wish to sound… unkind, but you need to just leave them alone altogether. Don’t get me wrong; I do understand that you’re annoyed at them. But make no mistake, they couldn’t – to put it bluntly – give a flying fu*k for your views or your threats. Worse, I promise you that (to quote what I just wrote to someone else on the Expo Guide thread) “You’ll also be giving the scammers a subtle but powerful psychological hint that you take them seriously – and are therefore, at another level, worried by them. That’s exactly what they depend on for this scam to work.”
The real victory here is to literally ignore them – let them waste their paper, their phone time, their email time. Just ignore and don’t pay. But don’t waste time with revenge fantasies.
Hi people!
They tricked me too last year and now they keep sending me reminders.. It’s kinda worries me after the phone call I recieved which ended that they will take this deal to the court.. We are sure that nothing will happen, right
Hello, really nice to found you here. I’m Gerd in Germany, artist, and I develop a Internet Art Project. In a little stupid moment of stress I have signed this fuck “European Trade Register”-Form. Now – you know it – they send me the invoices … ok, you know all this. My question is: When i recieve a letter from these scammers, shall I send it back directly or throw it away. Excuse my English.
Many thanks for your help and I was great help too, to meet here so many postings about this dirty stuff.
I have joined you on facebook and of course I’ll twitter about it and do my best that people have more information about it.
Thanks again, yours Gerd.
Hi Jaco!
It’s all just threats. Nothing will happen. I will buy you and all your friends lunch at a restaurant of your choice (plus beer) on the day they take you to court.
Hi Gerd. Now, take a deep breath aaaand….relax. You’ll be fine. There’s NOTHING they can or will do to you. Just don’t communicate, put the phone down and walk away when they call. They’ll stop when they know you won’t pay, it’s as simple as that.
hey Sam, thanks for your advice. You are the best.
I’ll twitter your side every day, that many people find the help because of all these postings.
Have made contact on facebook too and will post my story there too if I have the right to post.
Yours Gerd.
Thanks, Gerd. Keep up the awareness raising!
I am also a victim of European Trade Register. Tried to cancel my order after getting a 990 EUR invoice. Simply, I am not going to pay and the best way is to ignore all faxes, emails and post mails. Quite ridiculous to be cought by such scammers. My company details is still at their website. I don’t know if it is a good promotion for us. Probably they do not want to remove any of the registered companies on their website after cancelation request beacuse it makes them more convincing for other victims. Stay away from that!
HI Matt – ” I don’t know if it is a good promotion for us”
And yes, the only reason your details are there is for the value it has in convincing the next victim they should pay…
Hi,
Last Oct, I had also became one of the victims. Thought it would be a good exposure for my association, I responded to the email without noticing the fine prints. I rang them immediately upon receiving their invoice and CD but they refused to cancel the invoice.
Recently I receive d one phone call and a final reminder in addition to several email chasers.
I was afraid at first but luckily chanced upon this site that said they are scams and not to pay。 I just wish that they would be caught and stop bordering us.
HI Annie. Thanks for commenting, glad to hear you’re no longer afraid of these people. Expect calls and harrassment but don’t worry, there’s nothing they can (or will) do.
hello from Croatia
my firm is also victim of world trade register….we make mistake too…
)
i have question – when they will be stopped? (sorry becouse of my english
are you still here? I am very scary
(
Hi everyone, one more on the list, it is exactly what happen to me. A moment of distraction, this is such waste. How to scam us just to get money nothing else. Thank you Sam. I do appreciate your advice. I will follow your advice.
Hi Mery
Don’t worry – these people can’t (and WON’T) do anything to you. They only make their money when people believe they could take them to court. But they can’t – I promise you. Relax; don’t respond to them and don’t talk to them on the phone. They will eventually go away but it will take a long time. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do about that.
Hi Robert, don’t you worry. They’re scammers and powerless to do anything to you. Just ignore them (don’t make the mistake of communicating with them) and remember to do whatever you can in your own business networks to let other people know about these kinds of scams (many different names) so that they don’t fall into the same trap. Thanks for commenting and good luck.
I appreciate your respond Sam. That’s nice and supportive.
Sam, thank you.
I fell foul of this despicable scam and sure enough the invoice came, then the reminder, then the demands for payment and increases for late payment and admin charges. I wrote to them, emailed them, but never got a response. I sniffed a rat, but it was my colleague who found this site and your other sites. I spent a lot of time reading them yesterday and found them all very comforting.
I know now that I needn’t pay a penny and that they cannot touch me. Indeed, I’m kind of looking forward to the next attempt to contact me, as I shall just laugh at it! Then I’ll expect the threats of their debt collectors Waldberg & Hirsch and I shall laugh at those too.
It’s a disgrace, but it’s also a warning to never respond to unsolicited email or believe in anything that appears too good to be true. It’s annoying that such scammers make the life of small businesses more difficult and worrying than it already is – we have enough to contend with, but this should sharpen all our defences.
Your blog and all the comments are excellent to show that there are a lot of people in the same boat, and it’s nice to be part of a community, even a strange one such as this!
Keep up the fight, Sam.
My company details are not at their website…strange….
Thanks for your advice!
Regards from Croatia!
Garry, very glad indeed that you found this site and that the words and stories of all the other folks in the same boat have been reassuring to you. That’s exactly why I posted the way I did when I first came across these scams – titling my posts in such a way that they’d pull in people like yourself. I also know that over time I could build up a collection of comments where the total absence of anyone ever being taken to court would stand out a mile and be clear enough to reassure anybody.
I knew this was a scam from the first minute I saw it but I had the added advantage that I was never a ‘victim’ of it. Yes, I received their spam, like everyone else, but I saw through it (mainly because I’m a suspicious kind of person).
Glad to have helped and I hope that YOUR story helps someone else in its turn. That’s the power of social media.
Not strange, Mery, they’re scammers. If you appear on any of these scammers’ websites, it’s only in an attempt to make you think they’ve done ‘their part of the contract’. Many – like European Trade Register – don’t seem to even bother to do that. It’s not worth their time – time which could be better spent impersonating debt collectors and trying to bully you over the phone…
hello once again….
My firm recieved at friday e mail from EU BUSINESS Services (I send them cancellation request – advice from croatian chamber of economy):
Dear Sirs,
Thank you for your email.
Please be advised that it is not our intention to deceive any of our customers, but if some aspects of the service were not clear to you or if a confirmation on the existance of the price was needed, we could have been contacted for clarification at any time prior to ordering and therefore avoided these situation.
Your order once received, however, was honored accordingly, costs being involved on our behalf. As the payment for the invoice no. 105736 is expected since December, 2011, our Credit Department has reserved the right to take legal action against your company, in order to recover our costs. However, I am sure this will not be the case and that having your cooperation on the matter will enable us to close it amicably, having minimum costs involved.
Therefore, the best we can do for you at this point is offer you a discount for the late payment and the administration fees and settle your account for the initial of EUR 995,- provided the payment is arranged by the 20th of February, 2012 and comply with your cancellation request for the future insertions.
If there is anything I can assist you with, do not hesitate to let me know.
Best regards,
Ms Hellen
Account Manager
Call Center: 0031 208 080 789
Fax: 0031 205 248 107
We will not pay them, right? I am scared because my work (I was completed the application
, and my boss is angry…)
Thank you Sam!!
It’s all SCAM mery. Nothing is real. The only power they have is your fear.
Tell your boss that there is nothing for him to be angry about for the following reasons:
1) This is 100% scam, designed to mislead good people like you
2) Probably more than a million people have fallen for this scam in the last 10 years so you’re not alone
3) They have no power, so there is no threat to the business at all
this stupid persons is calling me and fax sending. Only i say fuck u.
Thank you for this blog.
Eu trade register=orospu cocuklari…
Short and sweet
Thank you Sam! :*
today we recieve letter from Expo Guide, and another mail from World trade register – New “data control form” for an insertion 2012/2013….they are crazy
hello Sam,
Thanks for this extremely instructive page.
We’ve fallen in the trap as well, stupidely I must admit.
Just a question, is it worth filing a complaint at police against them ?
HI Geoffrey, no problem.
Try to imagine this: these scammers can’t do anything to you because they’re definitely outside of the normal, decent legal processes in your country. Equally, you can’t do anything to them because they’re outside of …. .etc. By all means, report them to the police in your region. Just don’t expect anything to happen.
Remember that YOU have the single best weapon against them: not paying and not communicating with them. I’d say focus on doing that and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that YOUR money didn’t go their way.
Thanks from Turkey, Sam..
Hi, I’ve read almost all your comments and they are very helpful. But nobody has mentioned what happens if they have the form with your signature on it! Unfortunately our company too fell for this scam last year in November and one of my colleague has actually filled the form, signed and returned it. Did any of you do that too? My boss doesn’t want for this to escalate in going through courts and paying lawyers, etc…. Please let me know.
Hi Daniela
Nothing happens, it’s a scam. They make money by faking documents (and fake court cases) and bullying you until you’re so scared you’ll pay. There is nothing behind their scam but their cruelty and your fear.
Don’t be afraid – and don’t communicate with them at all; that just opens up avenues for their bullying.
S
Sam, you are a star! Thank you for your reassurance. What you’re doing is really great. Thank YOU!
When we do not care and pay, just to make a follow up to every one of what the things happened. I’ve received a statement by mail with some kind of threat. I’ve received a fax of the same statement with the same threat. The person from European Register that handles that is Ramona. I’ve received one call from her; I did not answer. She left a polite message. The phone number sources are not displayed. I never answer the phone when the phone number and the source name are not displayed. Keep the good work Sam!.
No problem, Robert. Glad we could help!
Dear friends,
We are same situation with all of you. We rejected all phone, email, fax…. from them and i think they will not request the payment from us.
They are scammer and spammer.
Brgdss, Dien
vietnam side.
Thanks for having this blog, I was really stressing that I had made a big mistake and owed 980 euro plus a late fee and administration fee totally 1124 euro!!! What a scam?!?!? I was sent emails boarding harassment and threatening to send me on to a lawyer to have resolved. They were stating that they would only accept payment through a direct bank transfer! That set me off to realize there is no way this can be legit! Thanks to your site, I have taken proper action to resolve the matter and hopefully they will not be cheating anyone else.
Best of luck to all!
Hi Kristen T – thanks for commenting. I’m so glad to hear that you’ve taken the right action. I would recommend that the best course of action from here would be to stop all communication with them immediately. After all, you wouldn’t waste your time negotiating with someone trying to steal from you would you? Communicating with them achieves nothing for you but gives them a channel to continue bullying you.
Hi!
Can You please help me see if the proposition I received is legit.
I did try to see if there is any scams with the name mentioned below but even internet site seems ok. The thing is that attached job description is scarily similar to the comments above. I did make job application through the site in Portugal Trabalhar.com and I was the one sending the mail for a following offer
Comercial (M/F)/Braga
De momento a oferta não aceita mais candidaturas.
Descricao da Funcao:
- Apoio a area comercial;
- Apoio ao armazem.
Oferece-se:
- Ordenado base: inerente a experiencia;
- Bom ambiente de trabalho;
- Progressao profissional.
Por favor, envie-nos o seu CV
Salário: 54.000 – 60.000
Contrato: Indefinido
Duração: 1
Período: Part-Time – Indiferente
Requisitos:
Boa capacidade de comunicacao, argumentacao e negociacao;
Se deseja:
- A ausencia da experiencia de trabalho pode compensar a abilidade de aprendizagem rapida.
- A habilidade para planear seu dia de trabalho.
- Alvo ao resultado.
- O desejo do aumento financeiro e da carreira.
the salary was a bit too good and job description????!!!!!
Office employee
We have received and considered your CV, and we are glad to inform you that you
are acceptable for the position of Office employee. Now you, pass a probation
period, within one month. The additional information on the work schedule,
duties and salary is provided in the attached file.
In order to register, do the following:
1. Carefully study the descriptions of your duties. In case you have any
questions, feel free to ask them. If everything is clear, just confirm that you
are still interested in this position.
2. Upon receiving your confirmation, I will provide you with Labor
Agreement and Registration Form. You are to fill them in carefully.
3. For identification purposes, please scan your passport or driver’s
license and email its scan copy to us.
The whole procedure usually takes no more than 2 working days.
Attention:
Information on the position is published on our website; if something is not
clear enough for you, I’m here to answer any questions concerning your duties
and salary.
We are doing our best to make the recruitment process as smooth and easy as
possible.
Best regards,
Ian Smith
European Trading.Co
370 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2209 New York, NY 10017
United States
Tel: 347-632-5553
2 Derry Street, London, W8 5TT
Tel: 020-3286-9111
E-mail: grace.financial@mail.com
http://europeantradingco.org
I visited the site and it seem ok, but I still have the bug behind my ear. HELP please
Cunha, I would stay clear of this if I were you – but its up to you.
I don’t know what process you’ve gone through to reach this point. So what makes me cautious? Well, the website is not what I would call convincing. It has the look of something that has been created specially for the purpose of trying to make someone (like you) think the business is credible. I’m not saying it ISN’T a legimate or credible company, I’m just saying that in all my experience, it doesn’t come across as one. Could just be lousy web design
Personally, I certainly wouldn’t be scanning or sending any documents before I was sure this business was credible. Rule of the internet should be: consider almost everything that appears to offer you something good (ie. a job, plum opportunity, special prize, millions of unclaimed dollars, unexpected tax rebate etc) is a scam.
Phew!!! So relieved that I found this site, thank you Sam …
Back in the beginning of March I signed and returned a ‘world trade register’ form believing I was ‘updating our details’ – Okay, now I know I should of read the VERY small print but being fairly new and our Company being registered with many event companies etc.. I saw that updating was free of charge and was misled into signing.
The invoice for 995 euro arrived yesterday, a clear copy of the form with MY signature on it! You can imagine my worries about telling the boss!
Anyway, I called them this morning and they were very adamant that I had signed and agreed an order, I told them how misleading it was and we wanted to withdraw, again she said that was not possible and would peruse payment. Scary!! –
I am so pleased to have found this site, my boss is due in any minute and I feel much happier about the explanation I can give him after reading all these comments instead of just that awful phone call to their company.
Thanks again, all the very best.
Hi Kim – great to hear you’re relieved, that’s what I set out to do with this blog. You’re just one of hundreds of thousands snared worldwide by this (and identical) scams so you’re in good company. Love the band by the way, I am a guitarist and total Beatles fan
Thanks Sam, you are doing a great job! – My boss (alias Macca!) said if you email me your address I will send you a DVD/CD of the band (no catch I promise!!)
Kind regards, Kim
Hey Kim – I will do! Thanks
Thank you for all the details about World Trade Register.
I Do hope that other people form The Czech Republic will read your webside.
Thanks so much for helping people for free.
Barbara
We´ve also received all these reminders and we´ve made a report to the police. We don´t expect the police to do anything but it still feels good to have them reported and to have the paper from the police in our files.
Every time we receive a new reminder we cross it and write “I oppose payment due to misleading information”, sign it and send it back. That´s how we´ve learned to handle it.
Then everything´s copied and filed.
I guess that they will quit after a year or so when they realise that we won´t pay.
Bernt
Hi Bernt – yes, they’ll quit… for a while and then they’ll probably re-use your contact details either by sending you more demands, another ‘update your details for free’ invitation or passing them on to other scammers…sadly. There’s no way out of it once you’re in but all you CAN do is be sure you don’t pay or give in to their bullying.
for me it go wrong.. recive a letter from their lowyer in april and I must pay two bills. I paid becaus I do not wish legal trouble. keep the company out from courts for reputation.
Hi Fulvio – it went wrong because you were scared into paying. For the scammers, that went 100% right – they achieved what they set out to do: they made you believe that they had some legal right to your money. I’m sorry to hear that. Their ‘legal’ letters are scam too. Your fear got the better of you.
Good luck for the future
Very lucky to find you guys. I am from China. And now I am so relieved after read this website. I nearly fell for it, but now I know what to do. Special thanks to Sam.
Fantastic! I’m helping people in China. How cool is THAT?! Thank you for you comment, Xue Yanling, glad to be of service.
I am from Tanzania – I feel so releaved. I have been under constant pressure. Ms. Anca, the Account Manager has been sending me reminders and just today, I got another one threatening to take legal action against my company.
You know what? Sam, you are a star!!! I have always replied to their emails – Now I know exactly what I am gonna do – stay put!!! Thanks a million times.
Hi Mary – it’s comments like yours that make my day and remind me why I posted about these scams in the first place. It’s great to be able to help and reassure people like you. Thanks for posting.
Hi Sam,
Thanks for all the useful info. Great job!
My message is mainly intended to company-victims in GREECE:
WORLD TRADE REGISTER is scam! DO NOT PAY & IGNORE THEM.
We have signed the form by mistake and they keep harassing us with emails and faxes.
Your article & comments are really helpful. I wish we could do something about these scammers and their likes…
Hi Maria, the #1effective weapon against these scammers is to not pay them. Nothing else works like it!
Hello my dears…I’m Luca from Italy, You all don’t know what a pleasure is reading your comments…I made this mistake in March, when i send back that fucking pdf form for World Trade Register. And the company where I work in reciving request of payment again and again sine then, increasing the total amount and telling us about legal action they could take. Now i know i must be strong, i must explain all these thinks to my manager, and i promise i won’t answer them again. Thank you all guys…
Do you know what? One time world trade register manager have a name Anca, secon time Liza..etc.
They are gipsy group somewhere from east Europe and they want your money! I was trying to phone to Miss.Liza,
but her english was fatal worst then my is.
Don‘t pay – fuck them or tell them that you take legal law against them for cheating customers (small letters..)
We too got scammed! We were about to pay up but will now not pay. Thanks Sam!
Hi Sam,
I too have fallen for the European Trade register Scam. I thought I was accepting a free listing, then started receiving invoices and now received a final reminder today. I have called them twice, after mailing them several times to cancel, and got a hard faced horrible woman called “Ms Anca”, who wouldn’t put me through to the Accounts dpeartment or her superior. Its is 100% a scam, even the email address on the bottom of the invoice “info@europeantraderegister.net” doesn’t exist and I feel such an idiot for falling for it.
Please advise what I should do next, as I have no intention of paying them. What do I need to do to me it go away? I also want all my company details removed from the Register, as I don’t want to be associated in any way with this crooked organization. Has anyone contacted “BBC Watchdog” about them? Please can you help me?
Hi Julia
Well the good news is…. they’re powerless. And of course, scammers, like you already know. My advice as to what you should do next is – a big, fat nothing.
You have to understand that communication with them is their route into you. Any kind of communication gives them the opportunity to bully you; don’t let them do that, not even an angry letter telling them what scum they are.
The way you win is to accept 1) you can’t get your name off their crap (it really doesn’t make ANY difference, there’s no negative fall-out because nobody ever looked at their rubbish database) 2) they will periodically attempt to re-start their bullying with you, looking to make a connection to start up all over again. You win by forgetting them from today onwards, avoiding all communication (hanging up the phone if you have to without saying a word) and get on with your life.
Hi Friends,
I am also receiving letters of invoices and threats of legal action from so called Ms. Hellen.
In spite of clarifying our situation softly they are not responding well but getting weird.
I sent that form by Fax and tried to sent by Courier at Netherland address. Fax was delieverd but courier returned
as it could not be delivered. That shows it is a fraud company/person.
Now, they are threatening for legal action. Please suggest whether I should reply or consult my lawyer or should
sit silently.
Regards,
Kashif Hashmi
Hi Kashif
It is a scam – so NO, do NOT correspond with them. They are frauds. Do not waste money on legal advice either; there is no need. If you ignore these people, they will still try occasionally to threaten you but just ignore them and don’t pay. To bully you they need to be in communication with you and YOU need to be in control of that.
S
Hi Sam Deek,
Thank you so much for your advice.
My boss was angry for this cause now I am relieved by studying them thoroughly.
Regards.
Sam you were right they stop sending letters and emails. Nothing from them in past 4 month. The initial inscription was in October 2011. May be like you said they will do some follow up. I will follow the advice of ignoring them.
I just got a reply from an e-mail I sent to them after seeing a job posting. They replied (monthly salary 2700euros a MONTH!)
I Googled them because the application form they wanted me to sign was in very bad english. Here is some information on their website( Who registered it, address, phone numbers)
Domain Name:EUROPEANTRADINGCO.ORG
Created On:03-Jan-2012 19:32:51 UTC
Last Updated On:04-Mar-2012 03:49:10 UTC
Expiration Date:03-Jan-2013 19:32:51 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:OnlineNIC Inc. (R64-LROR)
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:ONLC-4587204-4
Registrant Name:Nie Jacks
Registrant Organization:EuropeanTrading
Registrant Street1:Aleje Ujazdowskie 20-44
Registrant Street2:Aleje Ujazdowskie 20-44
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Warszawa
Registrant State/Province:Warszawa
Registrant Postal Code:00540
Registrant Country:PL
Registrant Phone:+022.8260590
Registrant Phone Ext.:1111
Registrant FAX:+022.8260590
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:
Hi. I’m Annie from Peru (south america).
In 2011, I received and invitation of European Trade Register. I thought it was for free, so I sent a subcription. After that I receive an invoice. then I read the small letters and there it’ sais that the cost was EUR 990 X YEAR and with automatically renovation. In that moment, I thought that I was my fault, so I paid, and also sent an unsubcription letter for next year.
I could’t send a certificate letter because they only have a PO Box and not an address. So, I sent a letter without certification. Also, sent many emails with the same letter attached with the unsubscription, but every email I sent had a notice that couldn’t be deliver. Just then a thought I was cheat!!
This year, I received a new invoice, then a final reminder for paying, a email x paying….I call a friend who is a lawyer, she told me that Netherland is a country with many fiscal liberty.
Is good to find this page!! Thank you! Hope people read this comments before paying!!
So, I have to do nothing!!. I’ll try to notice the Netherland embassy. don’t know if they can do something.
Just got an email asking to be part of this register, glad that I Googled them to check them out, and then saw your website with comments…will take everyone’s advice and ignore them…..
Happy scam-busting vibes from grey old UK to the dry, red Aussie outback!
Oh come on you guys!
Don’t be naive. If you got emails from senders you don’t know or “businesses” you never requested any services from then do’t bother. Simple as that.
That’s basically good advice Joey. I agree with you – hence I never got scammed by any of these business directory people. Not everyone is as naturally cautious or as well-versed in spotting rip-offs as you and me, though and I’m glad I can help reassure people that while they no doubt were incautious or even naiive, it doesn’t mean that they deserve to be scared witless or ripped of a couple of thousand euros.
The only people who really believe the victims of these scams deserve all they get have been those directly involved in these scams. No surprise there!
Hi,
We received ‘EU Trade Register’ email and thought it was for free. It was our mistake not to check this site before sending the registration form. There was no mention of charges in the form. Now we got an invoice for Euro 990 for 1 year and they keep reminding for payment. I sent an email stating to cancel the listing, even called to say that we don’t want the listing but the reminder email keep coming up. We are startup company based in India and entering EU market. Don’t want to create any credit rating issues. Should we ignore this payment reminder or is there any legal way that we can protect ourself from this.
Regards,
Sivakumar Vageesan
Hi Sivakumar
1) They are scammers
2) They can do NOTHING to you, legally or otherwise
3) There is NO credit issue because you’ve done nothing wrong
4) YES – ignore everything they send you and do not communicate with them in any way
Finally, you already ARE legally protected because you have done nothing wrong and owe them nothing and because they are scammers. They will not take you to any court because they cannot – it is as simple as that. They know this fully well but their scam works on you not being sure and thinking perhaps they can. Rest assured, they can’t.
I also just got the form in an email , with the accompanying text (see below)
Now would it be a good idea to fill out a dozen or so forms with real company details of laywer companies, legal advisors, anti-piracy’s companies, internetfraud agencies, etc … and send those over ?
Ladies and Gentlemen.
In order to have your company inserted in the registry of World Businesses for 2013/2014 edition, please print, complete and submit the attached form (PDF file) to the following address:
European Trade Register
P.O. BOX 3079
3502 GB, Utrecht
The Netherlands
email: register@etr2013.com
fax: +31 20 524-8107
Updating is free of charge!
If you are not the intended recipient, please submit an email to remove@etr2013.com Your request shall be dealt with accordingly.
MessageID: Osehnudsyp
Hi All, I was looking for work on gumtree.au and came across a similar position to ‘cunha says:
April 21, 2012 at 3:05 pm ‘. I applied with my CV and got similar mails and requests for scanned copy of passport and driving license. Alarm bells rang for me as the grammar of the job description they sent in reply to my CV was terrible.
I’ve now read this blog and emailed the so called Kevin Wilshaw who wanted to employ me at European Trading to refuse.
I really hope that this scam can be put a stop to somehow.. I don’t think all those looking for work might be as wary. It’s disgusting they’re playing on people who are vulnerable and in need of income.
Thanks for this blog at least!
Helen, thanks to you to for giving us some example of how they recruit
(PS – testimonials is the correct spelling ref. your site)
yes, me too, just got the invoice letter today for 990 … !
I was worry until I read all those comments who suffered the same.
Thanks to you all, I shall make ” no response” to avoid from such “keep coming” bothersome.
That Wald and herg collection letter looks really real though. And the paper itself is also made from high quality paper….
I hope you don’t think people should pay because the paper feels posh to you and they’ve used the right words?
It’s funny isn’t it how refusing to pay any or all of these business directory scams results in nobody ever being prosecuted. Out of literally millions of people hooked in over the last 10 years. If you had millions of customers each owing you €3,000 wouldn’t you have taken er… at least one or two thousands to court? One or two hundred? One or two?
These people have taken no-one to court because they can’t for the simple reason that they’re scammers. And Eddie, I’m sorry to say that, judging by your comment, you’re either one of them or you’re exactly the kind of person they’re looking to scam: someone for whom a bit of paper purporting to be from someone in authority can make you forget everything you instinctively know (the fact that these people deliberately set out to trap you and bully you into paying for something you never wanted and never asked for) – and reach for your wallet and pay them.
I’d almost prefer you were the former because it’s less depressing than if you were actually one of the latter.
Hola,
Agradezco mucho que escribais esto, ya que yo también he sido victima de estas personas si es que se les puede llamar así… me parece indignante que haya gente que intente ganarse la vida engañando y asustando a otros, si la forma que tienen de hacer dinero es esta espero que alguien con capacidad económica y conocimientos de derecho, les den su merecido, no solo por los que hemos sido ya victimas sino también para evitar que dañen a otros, porque sino siempre habrá gente que caiga y no pararán.
Uno de los grandes problemas de la sociedad actual es la pérdida de valores y falta de ética, menudo ejemplo tenemos con estos impresentables.
Muchas gracias por vuestras aportaciones, ya que me han tranquilizado mucho y por supuesto voy a haceros caso e ignorarlos.
Translated by Google Translate as:
“I appreciate you to write this, as I too have been a victim of these people if you can call them that … it seems outrageous that there are people who try to make a living tricking and scaring others, if the way they make money is this hope someone with economic capacity and knowledge of law, give them their due, not only for those who have already been victims but also to prevent harm to others, otherwise there will always be people who fall and will not stop.
One of the great problems of modern society is the loss of values and unethical example often have with these unsightly.
Thank you very much for your contributions, and I have calmed down a lot and of course I will make you and ignore case.”
Vicente
Me alegro de que les están preocupados. Relax – los estafadores no puede hacerte daño. No les pagan y hacer caso omiso de ellos!
Yep, I fell for this one too, and usually I am very vigilant in spotting the fakes ….
I have not yet start to get thretening phone calls, but I have got a mail or 2.
I think I will be telling them that :
– I will look into paying it,
– I have not had time to explore it
– Sorry I forgot to look at it …
– Etc…
Let see how many times I can make them call me, indirectly, how much money I can cost them
I HAVE NO INTENTION OF PAYING THIS.
Hi we are one of them too who got caught with the same people In 2012, we received and invitation of European Trade Register. we thought it was for free, so sent a subscription. After that we receive an invoice. then I read the small letters and there it’ says that the cost was EUR 990 and with automatically renovation. In that moment we nearly had a heart attack, straight away we wrote them a letter & sent them an email saying that we didn’t know if there was a fee, we told them to take us out from the register, then they sent me another letter saying if you don’t pay within 14 days then the fee will go upto 1,119 euros then we wrote them another letter & sent them an email telling them we can’t afford to pay because we are a small team of Indian drummers. then we phoned them and spoke to this lady called Ms Roxanne, she said we had to pay we pleaded with her but she wouldn’t listen so we thought will pay by borrowing the money from couple of friends and it was that friend told us about your site so we went on your site and the only thing we can say is THANKS A MILLION for putting up and saving good simple people from these EVIL SCAM People call – European Trade Register based in The Netherlands. They sent me an email and i told them to go HELL.
SO FRIENDS OUT THERE PLEASE DON’T PAY THESE EVIL PEOPLE.
It’s Ms Roxanne and Andrew as the Account Manager
Fax: 0031 205 248 107 – - Phone: 0031 208 080 789 – - info@europeantraderegister.net
we also fell into their trap. pleasee se the email below
—
We are hereby sending this email to officially notify your company in regards to the invoice no. 124558 – issued for your company’s subscription in the current Edition of our register, services delivered on the basis of an agreement placed by Mr Mohideen Rafi on behalf of your company.
We have answered your correspondence (emails) during this period (November-February) and yet the obvious issue we have with this account was not solved.
Emails from: 26/11/2012; 27/11/2012; 11/12/2012
Fax from: 06/11/2012
Reminders informing you about the status of the debt and the steps we will take in settling this account were sent via email, fax and post as follows:
-Reminder on 26/11/2012
-Second Reminder on 17/12/2012(enforcing penalties)
-Final Reminder on 07/01/2013
-Notice on 21/01/2013
-Final Notice on 04/02/2013
The full correspondence – this email included – will be archived accordingly and we are forced to take legal steps to recover the costs involved so far. Your actual debt is EUR 1124,- and it will be forwarded to initiate legal procedures on the 18th of February, 2013 to the debt collection company we work with.
An EUR 300,- legal fee will be added to your debt, bringing the amount to EUR 1424,-.
The debt collection company’s handling will not include the clauses of the contract negotiation or the amount decreased from its future value (EUR 1424,-).
We wish to also state that we have been constantly informing your company via all means (email, fax and post) regarding the steps we have taken in your outstanding account.
We are trying to avoid the unpleasant situation both of our companies is facing at this point and the third party involved in this issue (the debt collection company), therefore we are officially informing you that we have 7 days to bring this issue to a forthcoming end in amicably terms.
Best regards,
Ms Christine, Account Manager
Tel: 0031 208 080 789
Fax: 0031 205 248 107
P.O. Box 2021, 3500 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands
—
what should i say to them? please advise.
They are “hunting” us second year now….. they have a lot bad energy…..
Guys, anyone tried contacting the Intrpol?
I’ve recieved numerous e-mails from ‘em? saying that i own them 990 euro. I think we should contact Interpol (with a link to this site and all the others) and put an end to it.
We also fell into this fraud thing. Our company is not very big, but I am new here, so the first thing which came to my mind was that I will be fired.
One month I was so worried about it. We were writing many letters, but still they are not listening to us and sending letters back asking to pay. Soon we will be getting reminders and threats. Thank’s to your web site I finally will be calm and do not pay any attention to them. I explained all situation to my Boss, so we will IGNORE them.
We’ve got same problem with European Trade Register scam!! they keep sending reminders by post and email.
I am going to report this scam with FSB and Trade Association or any organisation dealing with type of fraud.
Hey,
the same story:
I was new in company
Misunderstood this “Data control sheet”
Received some Invoices etc.
After first Invoice I wrote them to cancel their so called “order” and they answered that It`s cancelled for further 2 years but we ave to pay for their job and this first Year.
Then I studdied thei web-page and their “Conditions” and Agreement terms and there is nothing about debt collection companies and % for delay of payment etc.
I talked to the wife of our boss and she said to ignore them and do not worry as she had same situation 10 years ago in company she worked. I felt better and stopped to worry about this. Then i ckecked out what can I find about European Trade register via google and found a few blogs similiar to this.
Thank You for publishing this information and comments that hopefully will help to other possible victims.
Thank You