Commercial Register Scam

Roseland Online has been made aware of a commercial register scam being perpetrated in the local area which local businesses should be very wary of.

A convincing ‘Commercial Register’ letter sent from Direct Publishers S.L.U. of Madrid includes an ‘Update Year’ request to be filled out and returned imminently.

The letter states “Your company’s Details need to be updated by the above reference date…”

If you do fill out the form and send it back, you are unknowingly entering into a commercial contract for advertising on very poor quality website com-reg.com resulting in a bill being sent back.

Some victims said, “We had been hit by the €993 Commercial Register scam. In more recent months, the amount that they have asked other companies for has been £863+vat.”

Another cunning local business owner stopped himself just short of filling out the form and did a Google search, finding the scam in time. He decided to put a note into the prepaid ‘freepost’ envelope instead, giving them a piece of his mind and costing them the reply postage costs.

Please be wary of this and let other businesses know about it by sharing this article. You can download an example copy of one such letter by clicking on the image above or here.

58 Comments on “Commercial Register Scam”

  1. I foolishly filled out the official looking form which was sent to us after we attended an exhibition. I thought they were just trying to confirm our business details. Today I got an invoice in the post for year 1 of our directory listing.

    They are now operating on the website http://www.fairs-business.com and the fee for a year is now £1,055 (GBP). The company is Direct Publisher, S.L.U. The owner of said company is Fernando Mancho Palacios and is well-known for this scam. If only I’d have realised what I was doing. Now we will be facing years of pestering from this idiot.

    For those that keep getting chased, just remember that if they haven’t taken you to court in three years and they still keep demanding payment, they aren’t going to. We take legal action much sooner than that if the debt is genuine. The reason they won’t take you to court is that it will end badly for them if they do.

  2. HI everyone
    After a good year of not hearing from them we have now again received a letter in the post and also a convincing email from a person called David Russell saying he was a lawyer and that we need to pay in 15 days to a bank in prague. Has anyone else had this?? worrying its going on for so long

    2. Hi Danielle, my husband was also taken in by this scam a couple of years ago. Our local trading standards officer did look into the company and advised us it was a scam and to ignore any communication and not to pay them any money. Yesterday we received a email from a solicitor based in Prague demanding we settle our invoice which is now almost 3000 euros. Just wanted to know if you had heard from them again as it is starting to get a bit worrying.

    3. Yes we had nothing for over a year , now a demand for 2979 euros for three year contract but if we pay 993 within 15 days they will cease the contract!

      1. We have received another email from the solicitor based in Prague telling us they are to start court proceedings in Madrid. Really hope this doesn’t come to anything.

      2. Hi I have been pestered for last 3 years with letters but last week got first e mail from Laura apparently a lawyer saying amount to be paid or taking me to court got second e mail yesterday! Still ignoring it but getting quite worried any one else had similar? Don’t know if I should contact a lawyer or not?

        1. I too got caught by this scam and ignored for the past year.
          Have since received an email from ‘Laura Rodriguez’ and also a letter from her today.
          Surely someone can do something about this scam?!

    1. Great watch thanks Richard. I received an email today from a debt recovery company and I just sent them abuse back. Lowest of the low.

  4. We, like all of you have been pestered by them for a while after stupidly signing and paying the first payment.
    we’ve had emails, letters and more recently phonecalls from Laura Rodriguez – Legal Department threatening to pass the case on to the “credit collection factory” if we dont send them £2500ish within 15 days.
    The funny thing is our company name is incorrect on their original contract and the signature was dated 1 day after the date of order on all of their final demand letters so i cant imagine it would ever stand up in court anyway.

  5. I fell for this back in April 2016 they are now demanding £2655 in 10 days or court !! Very worrying, has anyone been taken to court yet ?

  6. I have just received a scam telephone call about renewing my washing machine insurance. I thought it was odd as I had not taken any out previously. I said I wasn’t interested and ended the call. I then checked on Google to find this is a scam that has been around for a while…. all they need is your card details to give you a reduced cost washing machine insurance, but why would it be less for an older machine?

  7. Don’t have anything to add. A junior staff member filled it out without realising what it was. We told them to cancel it but after 3 weeks not two. They have hounded me ever since. Now I know to just ignore. Thanks.

  8. I have heard nothing for months and today received a letter asking for £1726.00 as I`m now in year two of my contract, another one for the bin

  9. Our business actually didn’t sign anything but yet they have been demanding payments for the past two years, which we haven’t obviously paid. I even wrote to their bank Iber Caja, which I had no response from. Really pathetic how bank can ignore such information and help fraudster to con people. They are threatening lawyers but if they take action I will take action against them right away for using our trademark illegally.

  10. Hi
    I have been involved as everyone else above.
    Even paid the first invoice unknowingly that it’s a scam and now 2nd one has come saying the contract is for three years. Looking at all above, I believe not paying the many more is best solution.

    1. They have sent me numerous e mails and letters demanding payment and a letter on the 10th July stating that if I failed to settle they would pass the case to an international debt recovery agency.
      I ignored this and have heard nothing further

  11. Hi all, I got drawn into this some 18 months ago. The demand letters stopped for a while and then started again. I’m now onto my second year so now apparently owe £2,000 euros. I received a phone call this morning from Spain – a Spanish lawyer who has been given ‘my case’ by commercial register. I informed her this was a scam and I’d see them in court before I paid a penny! I will continue to ignore them which is what I’ve done for the last 18 months.

    1. I have also been conned by this and paid £860 at the beginning of the year for my 1st year, have now received 2 more letters which I will be ignoring…..

  12. Having found your information, I just wanted to add my numbers to those who have been affected. Our first encounter with Commercial Register dates back to March of this year (2017). We are based in Essex.

    Please be advised that this ‘company’ is clever, and we too have fallen foul to the scam operated by Commercial Register / Direct Publishing S.L.U. operating out of Spain by me signing the document sent believing it to be a genuine requirement. After being sent weekly demands for payment I discovered on youTube an excellent article explaining how they manage to fraudulently obtain ones signature and use it on their own contract which they then send to you to confirm payment is due. I have reported this to http://www.actionfraud.police.uk. on 0330 303 0800.
    Can I encourage anyone else who encounters this scam to do the same.

  14. HI , I too fell foul of this, I have had an e-mail now from their legal department demanding settlement of £500 and they’ll stop hounding me. Also have had a phone call from a lady claiming to be trying to recover the debt too. My dead line to pay the £500 is 05/07/2017 otherwise court in Madrid is threatened.

  15. I am in the same boat as everyone else on this site. I fell into the trap too, and keep being harassed with letters and demands for payment from Commericial Register. The last one is threatening to take me to court using an international debt recovery agency. I do feel harassed and anxious about this. How can I stop these letters and demands?

    1. I’m sorry to say stopping their harassment once you’ve engaged with them isn’t possible, but it’s clear from the comments below that their demands are unenforceable and they haven’t taken action, so I suggest binning all correspondence the only sensible option.

  16. I have also been caught out by this letter.!!! I am now on my 3rd letter demanding payment of 993 euros and legal action if I don’t pay. I have reported this to Action Fraud. I feel so stupid falling for this , this has made me really security conscious now. I sent them a very strongly worded email when I found out its a scam. To say I am mad is an understatement.

  17. I have also stupidly been caught by this scam.
    I’m on my third reminder threatening Legal Dept involvement.I must say that it has worried me, but glad to hear that other people have received the same & nothing else has happened apart from further letters.
    I have informed Action Fraud.
    Hopefully something can be done to expose them for what they are.

  18. I was scammed by this company last year and hoped it had gone away as I hadn’t heard anything for ages.I didn’t pay a penny originally but now i received a letter saying my business has been added for a second year as it’s a 3 year contract!!! The letter now asks for nearly 2000 euros. Every time I email I get the same response.

  19. I have now had a third reminder. I did speak to action fraud who have confirmed what we all know that it is a scam, they can`t enforce the demand and to ignore it. Best to let them keep spending money on postage as I`m sure they will give up soon.

  20. I received a letter telling me that this would be dealt with by an “international debt recovery agency” whatever that means. I contacted action fraud online…waste of time. I won’t pay anything and will wait for the next letter. Court would be a good option because i don’t think this is going to stop. They will just keep posting letters. On another note they did spell my business name completely wrong so i would like to see that stand up in court.

  21. I feel so stupid having been scammed by this dreadful company. Having now read your website, I feel slightly better knowing it wasn’t just me. I have reported them to the online Fraud Action but with no luck. I have emailed them telling them that I want no further contact and have reported them to the police but today recieved a third letter which obviously I will not be paying. Having read the other comments, I feel more confident ignoring their demands – so thank you!

  22. I’m on a demand now insisting that if not paid within 8 days International Debt agencies will be involved – i have lost count of the number of demands I have had .
    I’ have contacted Fraud UK when this first started but feel very in the dark as they offer no continuity when i update on any letters … this last demand leaves me worried and feeling hounded …

    1. Hi. I would certainly contact the fraud squad on the number below (see other comments) and get their advice, but all the advice I was given was that in no way should I interact with them.

    2. Just ignore Amanda, we have had lots of 8 day demands, funny how it’s 8 and not 7. They must be Beatle fans “Eight Days A week” I never liked that song either!!

  23. I feel such an idiot. I would normally just shred things like this but for some reason I did fill the form out and send back. I am now on my third demand. Has anyone been pursued to court please?

    1. Hi Stephen. To our knowledge, no one has ever been prosecuted. I question whether their practices would stand up in court and they know that, so doubtful they would pursue.

    2. I’m also a victim of this and was getting really worried. I’m on my third reminder and I refuse to give them money. So is the best thing to do is to ignore them and not give them any money?

      1. As far as we can tell, Stephen, yes. Ignore all correspondence and do not interact with them. For more information and advice, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 20 40

        1. Thanks for the response. I was interacting with them but I will ignore any correspondence from now and keep you all posted!

    4. I also usually shred these but must have been bored one day so filled it in and sent it off. Cleverly worded so you think it’s a free register!!
      I’m on my second year now and the letters have started again after a few months break asking for last years money and THIS years! Apparently it’s a 3 year contract and I owe nearly 2000 euros!! Cheeky sods I emailed and told em to p*** off!

  24. I too have been victim to this scam after updating details ‘free of charge’
    On my third demand now , and wonder , will the police really take this seriously , in light of other events I guess more serious?

    1. The reason for the police’s contact is in case they ever try to insist you pay in court, Michaela. At least then they have record of the scam. I doubt they’ll actually be able to do anything as the scammers are in Spain, I believe. Just ignore all correspondence is the advice we were given.

  25. I have seen this scam sent so far to two of my clients. One I managed to intercept so it wasn’t received by the client; unfortunately the other one did it and signed. I tried to contact the Fraud Office but they were a ‘waste of space’ and can only deal with it if you contact them online after signing up to government website, etc. I have once written to them stating that they are not going to be paid, and received a letter back. I am now advising my client to forward all future correspondence on to me and I will just put it on his file and ignore it. But my client is normally meticulous, and I know this will worry him. The police I have found will normally only deal with things that involve injury to person, and are not interested in this. I advise all my clients now to be wary of this scam.

  26. I had a letter last year and sent it back but without payment as the original letter (which i stupidly di not keep a copy of) didnt have any payments required on it. I then received a letter saying i owed them money so asked to be taken off as wasn’t willing to pay it. since then I have had letters saying i owed them money. I hadn’t heard anything for about 3/4 months and now just received a letter today telling me i needed to also pay for this years publication so now owe a total of 1900 euros does anyone know what i can do?

    1. Hi Kerry
      We highly recommend you don’t enter into any more correspondence with these people. The more you interact, the deeper your involvement. We would recommend you contact your local police and let them advise you on how best to proceed.

  27. I was just about to send cheque, thankfully I decided
    To look this up, I have had a 4th letter which is a legal department demand, shall I just ignore these demands

    1. I would certianly not answer these letters, Maria. Also, if you’ve given any bank details, contact your bank immediately. I would also let the police know of this issue. The more info they have, the quicker they can take these companies down.

    1. Hi Malcolm
      If you have included any bank details or payment method, I would inform your bank immediately. I would then suggest reporting this to the police. You’ll find their contact details on Roseland Online’s Police page. Lastly, we suggest not reacting at all to any letters. This will only draw you deeper into their scam. pass on any details to the proper authorities.
      I hope that helps.

    2. I’ve had the same problem here, thank god its not only me. Had the £863 letter twice now, thankfully I’ve never given them my bank details

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