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Scam or is this normal???? Thread poster: Robert Rietvelt
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I did a job for a (UK) agency I worked for before. After checking my administration I found out they didn't pay my invoice yet (about 30 Euros), so I asked them politely to transfer the due amount to my bank account.
This is the answer I received:
Dear Robert Rietvelt
You recently registered as a supplier with XXXX and entered your bank details into its supplier portal. However, before we can make any payments to your account, we are required by our ... See more I did a job for a (UK) agency I worked for before. After checking my administration I found out they didn't pay my invoice yet (about 30 Euros), so I asked them politely to transfer the due amount to my bank account.
This is the answer I received:
Dear Robert Rietvelt
You recently registered as a supplier with XXXX and entered your bank details into its supplier portal. However, before we can make any payments to your account, we are required by our auditors to validate your bank details to make sure that the account we make payments into is correct and not fraudulent.
To verify the bank details you have submitted, we need you to provide one of the following verification documents:
A copy of a recent bank statement that meets the following requirements:
It shows the name and address of the account holder and the account number.
...................................................................................................
For non-UK bank accounts, it shows the IBAN and SWIFT codes.
The bank statement can be a screenshot of an online statement, provided the above information is visible. Importantly, we do not need any further information than the information requested above so any additional visible information (for example bank transactions) should of course be redacted. No personal data needs to be provided, save for a name and account details if the account holder is an individual rather than a company.
A letter from your bank on letterhead confirming the account details.
............................................................................................
Only one form of verification above is required however it must match the bank account details entered into the XXXX supplier portal.
To verify your bank details we will follow up with a telephone call to the number provided on file to verify the bank details for verification purposes
Why do we need information from you?
We require the above information because it is necessary to comply with a legal obligation and is essential in our efforts to combat fraud. The verification document that you provide to us will only be used for this purpose and will be permanently deleted once we no longer need it for our purposes. Your details are held securely in our ERP system, and access is restricted to those invoices in the processing and payment of your invoices.
Please provide this information as soon as possible, so as to avoid any delay in your first payment.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. (which I will do after I get some more info about this strange request)
I am a bit suspicious about these kind of requests. ▲ Collapse
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:00
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Poor English | Sep 15, 2020 |
You shouldn't have to do any of this. There are telltale grammatical errors in the English that say "this is a scam"- although I'm curious as to how the scammer was able to intervene when you asked your client to pay you. It would appear that your client was using an online system that is not secure. You should warn them.
[Edited at 2020-09-15 09:16 GMT]
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Agneta Pallinder 
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:00
Member (2014)
Swedish to English
+ ...
| Never seen anything like it! | Sep 15, 2020 |
Certainly agencies - particularly those who operate through "portals" - are building up ridiculously complicated administrative systems, but this seems way over the top.
I would forward the request to the project manager you dealt with and ask them what it is all about.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:00
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Agneta Pallinder wrote:
Certainly agencies - particularly those who operate through "portals" - are building up ridiculously complicated administrative systems, but this seems way over the top.
I'd say the portal has been hacked.
That's why I never work with agencies that do all their admin via an online system. It isn't a secure way to do business.
[Edited at 2020-09-15 09:19 GMT]
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Thomas Pfann
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:00
Member (2006)
English to German
+ ...
| Neither a scam nor normal | Sep 15, 2020 |
They explain why they want this and I don't see a big problem with this - nor do I see the point of supplying an easily faked screenshot to verify my account details. I think it is unnecessary and I would tell them that they have all the details they need (name and bank details are on the invoice, after all) and that no further verification documents will be supplied, thank you very much.
[Edited at 2020-09-15 09:52 GMT]
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| "Legal obligation" | Sep 15, 2020 |
If they say they are legally obliged to do this (which is probably nonsense) they should spell out the exact law and article they are referring to.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:00
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Tell them to pay | Sep 15, 2020 |
I would tell them, ever so politely, that unless you receive payment of the €30, in full, into your bank account within the next seven calendar days, you will show them (without further notice) what their legal obligations are.
[Edited at 2020-09-15 11:15 GMT]
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:00
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Their English is so bad (though perhaps not immediately evidently so to a non-native speaker) that I would automatically assume this is a scam - although these days the level of literacy is so poor, even among bank employees, that you can never be sure. Bad English aside, their demands are not substantiated by reference to any specific legal requirement, and are very onerous (requiring, for example, the provision of a bank letter) - so there are ample reasons for assuming that this is some kind ... See more Their English is so bad (though perhaps not immediately evidently so to a non-native speaker) that I would automatically assume this is a scam - although these days the level of literacy is so poor, even among bank employees, that you can never be sure. Bad English aside, their demands are not substantiated by reference to any specific legal requirement, and are very onerous (requiring, for example, the provision of a bank letter) - so there are ample reasons for assuming that this is some kind of trick to get hold of a load of personal information that could then be used for other (unmentioned) purposes at any later date.
[Edited at 2020-09-15 10:45 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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| It has happened but there was much more transparency | Sep 15, 2020 |
I've had to do this for a couple of clients here in Italy (both pharma companies though). However they made it very clear in the vendor registration process that it was required. It seems odd that they didn't tell you this whilst you were registering?
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Robert Rietvelt
Local time: 04:00
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Rachael Alexander wrote:
I've had to do this for a couple of clients here in Italy (both pharma companies though). However they made it very clear in the vendor registration process that it was required. It seems odd that they didn't tell you this whilst you were registering?
I registered in 2013!!!! And did a few jobs for them in the past.
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| Brexit - the new normal | Sep 15, 2020 |
I wonder whether it is something to do with Brexit. My bank branch here in the Czech Republic got in touch with me the other day to say they needed to see my official papers and wanted to know how I earned my income. One of the perks of no longer being a citizen of an EU Member State. It's a long shot, but could be related.
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Robert Rietvelt
Local time: 04:00
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thank you for all your feedback | Sep 15, 2020 |
With all the info I received, I will contact the agency tomorrow. Let's see what the answer is. I'll keep you posted, although I can tell you right now that I am not going to comply with this ridiculous request, Brexit or no Brexit (I am against it anyway).
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| Not bad English | Sep 16, 2020 |
Tom in London wrote:
Bad English
There are telltale grammatical errors in the English that say "this is a scam"
Not at all. It ain't perfect but the English is clearly written by a native.
It's an odd request and is certainly not a legal requirement, Brexit or not. You just need to ask the customer about it.
[Edited at 2020-09-16 08:08 GMT]
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Edward Potter
Spain
Local time: 04:00
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Telephone contact | Sep 17, 2020 |
Have you talked to the customer on the phone? Ever?
In any case, this might be the time to to give them a call. I'd give email a shot first, then pick up the phone.
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