Spring is finally here – so too are scams targeting French producers

 Champagne vineyards near Epernay

Last Thursday (11th April) when I gave my talk on the UK market at Les Rencontres Nationales des Vignerons Indépendants in Epernay I warned of the French producer scam. In this long-running scam, fraudsters contact French producers stealing the identity of legitimate companies and their employees.   

The warning was well-timed as within a week (17th April) of my talk a Champagne producer received two emails (see below) sent by a fraudster pretending to be the manager (a Steven Person) of the Anchor Inn at Lower Froyle in Hampshire.  

However a quick check shows that the two phone numbers and the fax given by the fraudster are all for mobiles – no landline given, which naturally the real Anchor Inn has. Also there is one crucial difference between the true email address of the Anchor Inn – the false address includes a hypen, which the real address does not have.

When I contacted the Anchor Inn they confirmed that the emails were false and nothing to do with them: 'I can confirm with you this is nothing to do with us and no one by that name works here.' The so called Manager – Steven Person – is the fraudster's invention. 

 

-----Message d'origine-----
De : ANCHOR INN [mailto:info@anchorinnatlower-froyle.co.uk]
Envoyé : mercredi 17 avril 2013 16:30
À : ANCHOR INN
Objet : INFORMATION

Dear sir,

Having had the opportunity to acquaint with your activities, we would like to mean you that we are interested in a partnership with you as distributor of your products on England.

Being situated in United Kingdom, we wanted to know if you make of the sale for the export.

We are thus looking forward to your reply so as to place at you possible orders that we shall deliver in hotel complexes, restaurants.

Thank you for indicating us your method of payment including seen transport makes him whom we wish that our payments are in 30 days the end of the month by bank transfer.

We are in the wait consequently your various price lists as well as your respective available quantities as so as to the fact that we can send you our order form.

We ask you to contact us on our limps personal electronics which is info@anchorinnatlower-froyle.co.uk

Best regards,

Manager
Steven Person

The Anchor Inn
Lower Froyle, Hampshire GU34 4NA
United Kingdom
VAT Number : 866811494
Registered in England, Number : 5461379
Tel : +44 (0) 701 296 3947 / +44 (0) 703 598 2115
Fax : + 44 (0) 709 285 8102 [6]
Email: info@anchorinnatlower-froyle.co.uk


___________________________________________________________________
Cher monsieur,

Ayant eu loccasion de prendre connaissance de vos activités, nous aimerions vous signifier que nous sommes intéressé par un partenariat avec vous en tant que distributeur de vos produits  sur lAngleterre.

Étant situé au Royaume Uni, nous voulions savoir si vous faites de la vente à lexport.

Nous sommes donc dans lattente de votre réponse de sorte à vous passer déventuelles commandes que nous livrerons dans des complexes hôteliers et restaurants.Merci de nous indiquer votre mode de règlement y compris transport vu le fait que nous désirons que nos règlements sont à 30 jours fin du mois par virement bancaire.

Nous sommes dans lattente par conséquent de vos différents tariffs ainsi que de vos quantités disponibles respectives de sorte à ce que nous puissions vous faire parvenir notre bon de commande.

Nous vous demandons de nous contacter sur notre boite électronique personnelle qui est info@anchorinnatlower-froyle.co.uk

Merci et bonne réception

Manager
Steven Person

The Anchor Inn
Lower Froyle, Hampshire
GU34 4NA
United Kingdom
VAT Number : GB866811494

 Registered in England, Number : 5461379
Tel : +44 (0) 701 296 3947 / +44 (0) 703 598 2115
Fax : + 44 (0) 709 285 8102
Email: info@anchorinnatlower-froyle.co.uk    

Trash is best place for emails like this. Legitimate UK companies would never contact French producers in this manner.   

Fraudsters gear up for Christmas (part 2): false BBR emails

From Berry Bros & Rudd website 

Well known wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd has also been used by fraudsters recently with emails being sent to producers purporting quite falsely to come from Max Lalondrelle.

Message to Jason Yapp, Yapp Brothers (see previous post), from Alun Griffiths MW of Berry Bros & Rudd:     

Jason,

We have had hundreds of similar cases where people have sought to claim to be BBR, usually quoting an e-mail address, which is plausible but fraudulent, and often using the correct name of one of our employees.  Only one or two growers have actually been duped. The UK police are totally uninterested in pursuing this, claiming that they don’t have the resources and that it is a matter for the relevant foreign police force. What we have done is to alert the Syndicat in the region of origin of the duped grower, asking them to send a round robin notification to all their members asking them to be on the alert for any unsolicited orders purporting to come from BBR.

Best regards

Alun

Example of false email sent in the name of Berry Bros to an Touraine producer recently:

Sujet:	COMMERCIAL REQUEST / DEMANDE COMMERCIALE
Date :	Wed, 5 Dec 2012 16:08:17 +0100
De :	BB&R LTD
Répondre à :	BB&R LTD
Pour :

Dear Sir/ Madam,

We, the Company Berry Brothers & Rudd Limited (number two of wines sellers in United Kingdom), are searching urgently for our wholesalers and our VIP customers, rares wines in original wood boxes or in cardboard of 6 or 12, see below:

Château Petrus: 1982 or 1989 - 1990 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007
Château Lafite Rothschild: 1982 or 1983 - 1986 - 1990 -  1994 – 1995 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2004 - 2006 - 2008 – 2009 - 2011
Château Latour: 1998 or 2001 - 2003 - 2006 - 2008
Romanée Conti DRC: 2004 or 2005
Romanée Conti écheveaux: 1986 or 1989 - 1990 -1996 -1997 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006
Château Ausone: 2001 or 2004 - 2005 – 2006
Château Cheval Blanc  1985
Château Yquem 1989
Château Haut Brion red 1986 or 1985
Château Haut Brion white 2004
Château Mouton Rothschild 1982 or 1985 – 1992 - 2003 - 2004 - 2008
Champagne Dom Pérignon
Crystal Roederer
Henri Jayer 1985 Richbourg
Remy Martin Louis XIII

Please, we would appreciate if you could send us your availabilities by mail or fax (raw, inventories & prices).

In case you run out of the vintages we requested from you your proposal for others vintages will be more than welcome (vintages, inventories and prices).

NB:

Payment: We would like to make a payment by Bank transfer within 30 days end of month (APPROVED BY COFACE), as with all our suppliers.

Shipment: Removal by our carriers (DHL, UPS, FEDEX or PRIVATE) to one of our warehouse and distribution center in England.

Best regards,

Max Lalondrelle
Sales and Marketing Advisor

3 St. James   Street,
Westminster, London
SW1A 1EG
United Kingdom

Office Direct Line: +44 (0) 207 0606 765
Cell Line Tel: +44 (0) 793 1000 805
Fax: +44 (0) 203 3188 337
Mail : sales@berry-brothers.co.uk

Company Excise Number: GBWK872576585
Warehouse Excise Number: GB00002733072
VAT Number: 872 5765 85
Company Registered In England Number. 05490962

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Bonjour Monsieur ou Madame,

Nous, Berry Bros. & Rudd Limited, numéro deux de la vente et la distribution de vins et champagnes au Royaume Uni (Angleterre, Écosse et Irlande), recherchons urgemment pour faire face aux importantes demande de nos grossistes et de nos clients importants, les crus ci-dessous en Caisse de Bois d'Origine ou en Carton de 6 ou 12. Ce sont:

Château Petrus: 1982 or 1989 - 1990 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007
Château Lafite Rothschild: 1982 or 1983 - 1986 - 1990 -  1994 – 1995 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2006 - 2008 – 2009 - 2011
Château Latour: 2006 or 2008
Romanée Conti DRC: 2004 or 2005
Romanée Conti écheveaux: 1986 or 1989 - 1990 -1996 -1997 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006
Château Ausone: 2001 or 2005 – 2006
Château Cheval Blanc  1985
Château Yquem 1989
Château Haut Brion red 1986 or 1985
Château Haut Brion white 2004
Château Mouton Rothschild 1982 or 1985 – 1992 - 2003
Champagne Dom Pérignon
Crystal Roederer
Henri Jayer 1985 Richbourg
Remy Martin Louis XIII

Veuillez bien nous faire parvenir par mail ou par fax vos disponibilités (Variétés, Stocks et tarifs).

Vous pouvez également nous faire les propositions d'autres produits (Crus, Stocks et tarifs) si vous n'avez pas ce que nous recherchons.

NB: Paiement: Nous aimerions bénéficier d'un paiement par virement bancaire à 30 jours fin de mois (COUVERT PAR LA COFACE), comme avec l'ensemble de nos fournisseurs. Ci-dessous notre Numéro de TVA, et d’Accise en cas de besoin.

Transport : Enlèvement et Expédition par notre transporteur (DHL, UPS, FEDEX ou PRIVE) vers un de nos entrepôts de stockage et de distribution à Londres.

N’hésitez pas à nous contacter pour toutes informations complémentaires.

Recevez nos respectueuses et sincères salutations.

Cordialement,

Max Lalondrelle
Sales and Marketing Advisor

3 St. James   Street,
Westminster, London
SW1A 1EG
United Kingdom

Office Direct Line: +44 (0) 207 0606 765
Cell Line Tel: +44 (0) 793 1000 805
Fax: +44 (0) 203 3188 337
Mail : sales@berry-brothers.co.uk

Company Excise Number: GBWK872576585
Warehouse Excise Number: GB00002733072
VAT Number: 872 5765 85
Company Registered In England Number. 05490962

-- Message original --------

Sujet:	RE: COMMERCIAL REQUEST / DEMANDE COMMERCIALE
Date :	Wed, 5 Dec 2012 17:50:48 +0000
De :	customerservice
Pour :