The Action Fraud squad is asking for any nurseries that are called by the criminals to get in touch with it.
Donna Jarvis, owner of Little Bunnies day nursery in Kings Lynn, had a telephone call from a man who said the nursery had a debt of just under £500 to a software company called Visual IQ. He said that unless she paid the money to ‘Northampton Crown Court’ within half an hour, bailiffs would turn up to recover goods worth £700, regardless of whether children were on the premises.
Ms Jarvis said she was given telephone numbers and a reference number. ‘When I said I would check it out with the police, he said that they would be arriving with the bailiffs anyway.’
Even though Ms Jarvis was certain the nursery had no debts, she said she nearly paid the money – ‘I am an experienced businesswoman, but he was extremely convincing and had an answer for everything.’ However, when she said that her partner, who was with her, was an ex-policeman, the man hung up.
Ms Jarvis rang Visual IQ, which is a London company, and spoke to ‘a lovely woman’ who had had several calls from nurseries who had been subject to similar fraudulent behaviour.
Nurseries in Southampton and Cheshire are among those who have also targeted.
- The Action Fraud squad are on 0300 123 2040
