Just received a call from Washington DC

[GrayBlade]

Not phone numbers Gray. They aren't required at Companies House.

Cheers H. I suppose it’d be easy enough for a scammer to get hold of a phone number if they’d got other details.

[silentjourneyhome]

THIS Silent ^^^

Question is how they’ve got your phone number mate and know you had shares and do you need to look into that.

I decided you were correct Gray and so I started by searching Sheffield United Ltd at Companies House. The details disclosed that the register of members had not been available for public scrutiny on the site since 2016.

In view of this I called Capita who are The company’s registrars. Having taken my details they confirmed that they had me registered as a shareholder but that they would never disclose these details to anyone other than myself. They could not advise how anyone might have obtained my details but suggested that I called the FCA.

This I duly did but was unable to give the name of the organisation that called me from Washington DC so their advice was inevitably restricted. They confirmed that only an authorised broker could trade in the shares but they could not check this without a name. Nor could they say whether it was a scam but in their experience if someone was cold calling to buy shares it was quite possible that it was a scam (possibly a boiler scheme).

So roll on GDPR and meanwhile if you receive a call from a nice gentleman in Washington DC you have only called in to put a shelf up for the person they are calling who by coincidence is away on business for a few days!

[Holden_C]

I decided you were correct Gray and so I started by searching Sheffield United Ltd at Companies House. The details disclosed that the register of members had not been available for public scrutiny on the site since 2016.

In view of this I called Capita who are The company’s registrars. Having taken my details they confirmed that they had me registered as a shareholder but that they would never disclose these details to anyone other than myself. They could not advise how anyone might have obtained my details but suggested that I called the FCA.

This I duly did but was unable to give the name of the organisation that called me from Washington DC so their advice was inevitably restricted. They confirmed that only an authorised broker could trade in the shares but they could not check this without a name. Nor could they say whether it was a scam but in their experience if someone was cold calling to buy shares it was quite possible that it was a scam (possibly a boiler scheme).

So roll on GDPR and meanwhile if you receive a call from a nice gentleman in Washington DC you have only called in to put a shelf up for the person they are calling who by coincidence is away on business for a few days!

The last submitted Annual Return (2016) clearly states that although not appearing on line ( because it's size) , the bulk list of shareholders is available to anyone who wants it and is on a CD-ROM. So anyone can buy the list at any time. So Capita are talking boll0cks. Did they do any security checks with you to actually confirm who you were before giving you information, presumably over the 'phone.

[Holden_C]

The last submitted Annual Return (2016) clearly states that although not appearing on line ( because it's size) , the bulk list of shareholders is available to anyone who wants it and is on a CD-ROM. So anyone can buy the list at any time. So Capita are talking boll0cks. Did they do any security checks with you to actually confirm who you were before giving you information, presumably over the 'phone.

Forgot to mention, just to clarify, shareholders addresses are no longer required on Confirmation Statements, (formerly Annual Returns) This has not always been the case. The shareholders list, from memory, has to be supplied every three year, so there could be many old copies flying around out there. If you have an old one, you can just check it against the latest list.

[Carpe_diem]

I decided you were correct Gray and so I started by searching Sheffield United Ltd at Companies House. The details disclosed that the register of members had not been available for public scrutiny on the site since 2016.

In view of this I called Capita who are The company’s registrars. Having taken my details they confirmed that they had me registered as a shareholder but that they would never disclose these details to anyone other than myself. They could not advise how anyone might have obtained my details but suggested that I called the FCA.

This I duly did but was unable to give the name of the organisation that called me from Washington DC so their advice was inevitably restricted. They confirmed that only an authorised broker could trade in the shares but they could not check this without a name. Nor could they say whether it was a scam but in their experience if someone was cold calling to buy shares it was quite possible that it was a scam (possibly a boiler scheme).

So roll on GDPR and meanwhile if you receive a call from a nice gentleman in Washington DC you have only called in to put a shelf up for the person they are calling who by coincidence is away on business for a few days!

GDPR is a Europe-only regulation so won't make a blind bit of difference to American scam artists (or indeed anyone else who wants to operate outside of the law).

[GrayBlade]

I think the answer here is that if anybody is cold contacted on anything remotely financial, it’s best to always assume it’s a scam and tell them nothingt unless it can be 100% proved otherwise.

In Silent’s case I think he’s done the right thing even if he won’t be much help, at least he’s on the ball. It’d be interesting to know if anybody else holding SU shares has been contacted or if it was just random.

[Holden_C]

I think the answer here is that if anybody is cold contacted on anything remotely financial, it’s best to always assume it’s a scam and tell them nothingt unless it can be 100% proved otherwise.

In Silent’s case I think he’s done the right thing even if he won’t be much help, at least he’s on the ball. It’d be interesting to know if anybody else holding SU shares has been contacted or if it was just random.

Telling a possible scam artist who could be based anywhere in the world including the UK that the householder is away for a few days might not be the best thing to do though

[GrayBlade]

Telling a possible scam artist who could be based anywhere in the world including the UK that the householder is away for a few days might not be the best thing to do though

Ha ha. And the key’s under the aspidistra.

[Chips1889]

I just don't understand how anyone these days answers a call if they don't know who is calling. For a few years now I have caller
number recognition and a phone that allows me to enter know friendly' number (family and friend + doctors/dentist etc) so they get a separate ring tone.

Easy....if the phone rings and is not the special ring tone then they MUST leave a message if they want me to call. Scammers don't leave messages so end of problem.

Now all I got to do is stop my family and friend from calling

[GrayBlade]

I just don't understand how anyone these days answers a call if they don't know who is calling. For a few years now I have caller
number recognition and a phone that allows me to enter know friendly' number (family and friend + doctors/dentist etc) so they get a separate ring tone.

Easy....if the phone rings and is not the special ring tone then they MUST leave a message if they want me to call. Scammers don't leave messages so end of problem.

Now all I got to do is stop my family and friend from calling

Yep and that female phone Guardian sounds a real Rottweiler doesn’t she?

They’re fine except for people like me Chippy who’s phone and mobile are withheld so I have to go through the identity yourself or else process every time I phone somebody who uses it. Still, a small price to pay for family and friends not getting my number.