Fraud On Energy Bill And Scottish Power Has No Fraud Department To Deal With

[OldChestNuts]

We had a fraudster who claimed to have moved into our new business premises in Oct 2023. This came to our attention beacause there was a new customer joining letter from Scottish Power and addressed to a fake company at our address.

Now we still get bills payment demand addressed to the fake company demanding payment and will be passed onto debt collection agent.

We already informed Scottish Power customer service by emails and telephone calls. Non of these channels results in any resolution to stop the demand of payment. 

We had reported to the Police and Fraud Action and OFGEM. None of these resolve the issue. 

What do we do next? Instruct a solicitor to take Scottish Power to court and resolve it by the law of the country? 

[OldChestNuts]

Just to add further concern with this Scottish Power. With their accounts, the business accounts are all under the same account as your domestic accounts. So despite you ae a limited company business, they will knock on your home door for payment. They have our home address!

[OldChestNuts]

@Auntypoll

 

"And to open an account they would have had to provide a final meter reading which would have meant getting access to your premises. You say the telephone number and account number to open the fake account were false, how do you know that ?"

- They estimated the meter reading..

- The details were on the welcoming letter... I gave these details to the police - they weren't interested.

 

[Auntypoll]

Are you going to answer my questions? Sorry but if I got an electric bill addressed to a company I was not involved in it would go in the bin. I think you are getting obsessed with Scottish power. You have got proof the company is not you and proof you pay your bill on time. Just keep sending the bills back to them. 

[OldChestNuts]

@ladybirder

Citizen Advice is not available, the advise will be contact the energy company and complain and then contact OFGEM. They are all dead end..

[Auntypoll]

Crossed posts but sorry you cannot take over an electricity account on an estimated reading. They need the exact reading and then the previous customer would be charged up to the day the reading was taken then the new one would take over. You also can't have two different customers on one meter, business or otherwise.

[OldChestNuts]

@Auntypoll

Yes will send the bill back, if they ever read or take any action. Still the debt collection will turn uop and removing our assetts that will be the end of our business.

[OldChestNuts]

@Auntypoll

 

"Crossed posts but sorry you cannot take over an electricity account on an estimated reading. They need the exact reading and then the previous customer would be charged up to the day the reading was taken then the new one would take over. You also can't have two different customers on one meter, business or otherwise."

In theory this should not happen, but this is an incompetent company doesn't know how to correct their mistakes. So they will just ignore your complaints and not resolving the issue.

[barry1010]

But it's not in your name, your company name or your debt

[OldChestNuts]

@bary1010

"But it's not in your name, your company name or your debt"

 

Agree. Maybe just ignore it now and let the debt collection turns upo and we call the police for illegal assets removal.

[237SJ]

Have you looked up on Companies House to see if the fake company is listed at your address?  You can also see who the so called directors of the company are.  Not that it will make much difference but I would be curious.  I know with private residences you can get the credit report from Experien.  Not sure if you can with companies but it might show if they have registered anything else at that address.

[Auntypoll]

The bailiffs cannot take your possessions because the debt is not in your name! 

[Auntypoll]

237sj the person is a sole trader not a limited company. 

[ladybirder]

I have remembered that I had a problem with my utilities provider and chap next door some years back.  I sorted it by contacting the National Grid on 0121-424-8000 who can't alter the NG database but to check with XOSERVE who can.

If that is no help at all just ignore me.

[barry1010]

Just mark any future letters in that company's name as 'not known at this address' and put in the postbox

[OldChestNuts]

I just checked the Trust Pilot review page, it not not published yet. I posted to both .com and .co.uk.

I noted that there is no reply from the .com by other posters. 

Yes will return any letters addressed to the fraudulent company.

[OldChestNuts]

This is another complaint on Trust Pilot, on debt collection theme. Looks like they don't communicate...

"Awful customer service. Having recently moved into our rented house they have chased us for payment of gas and electricity which we have not used. We have telephoned them and sent emails with proof we don’t owe them. They choose to ignore all our communication and threaten us with legal action. Disgusting behaviour."

[newmodarmy]

I'm surprised you're still with SP as i see you had a complaint about them in 2022 and were unhappy then

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Home-and-Garden/Question1814875.html

[OldChestNuts]

@newmodarmy that post relates to our domestic meter. The business contract is due to end this year. So will be changing..

 

 

[237SJ]

^ Go with Octopus.  Don't go to SSE - they're even worse.

[OldChestNuts]

@236SJ

You are right that Ocopus is good. My domestic is with them and they provide uk call centre. I had called them a few times and they are all good.