EU Business Directory Listing Scam

Getting your business listed in a world-recognized directory sounds like a good idea, right? Well, not all the time as the Business Directory Scam shows. There are various dubious registries operating under names such as World Business List, Business Register Scheme, Business Directory Addition, Online Business Directory Pty, Business Directory Pages and UK Business Profiles among others.

Business directory fraud is where a company (or person) is approached via email, fax, or phone, and a (“free”) registration is offered in an important directory (it can be a book or online database). There are two catches:

1. The registration is not really free. It often states that “updates” are free but the small print says you do have to pay a start-up fee.
2. The website hardly ever has any visitors. As a result, the entire proposition has little to no value.

Scammers only mention what they want you to know; which is the promise of getting greater business and the opportunity to update your listing for free!

The scam is that you unknowingly enter into a long-term contract with unbelievably high upfront fees of 1,000 Euros every year! With auto-renewal every 3 years. This detail of the subscription is pushed to the bottom of the subscription document.

Here is how a Business Directory Scam email looks like:

“register@ebrdirectory.com
May 2016
European Company Network 2016/2017

Dear Madam/Sir,
In order to have your company inserted in the European Company Network for 2016/2017,
please print, complete and submit the attached form (PDF file) to the following address:

EUROPEAN COMPANY NETWORK
P.O. BOX 34
3700 AA ZEIST
THE NETHERLANDS
Fax: +31 30 310 0126
 
You can also attach the completed form in a reply to this email.
Updating is free of charge!

If you believe you have received this email in error or you do not wish to receive further
communication from European Company Network, follow this link to unsubscribe from our delivery list.

THE SIGNING OF THIS DOCUMENT REPRESENTS THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS AND THE CONDITIONS STATED IN "THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INSERTION" ON WEB PAGE WWW.EUROPEANCOMPANYNETWORK.COM. THE SIGNING IS LEGALLY BINDING AND GIVES YOU THE RIGHT OF AN INSERTION IN THE ONLINE DATA BASE OF THE EUROPEAN COMPANY NETWORK WHICH CAN BE ACCESSED VIA THE INTERNET, AND A CD ROM WITH WORLD BUSINESSES IS GRANTED, ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONTRACT CONDITIONS STATED IN "THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INSERTION" ON WEB PAGE WWW.EUROPEAN COMPANY NETWORK.COM. THE VALIDATION TIME OF THE CONTRACT IS THREE YEARS AND STARTS ON THE EIGHTH DAY AFTER SIGNING THE CONTRACT. THE INSERTION IS GRANTED AFTER SIGNING AND RECEIVING THIS DOCUMENT BY THE SERVICE PROVIDER. I HEREBY ORDER A  SUBSCRIPTION WITH SERVICE PROVIDER EU BUSINESS SERVICES LTD "EUROPEAN COMPANY NETWORK". I WILL HAVE AN INSERTION INTO ITS DATABASE FOR THREE YEARS. THE PRICE PER YEAR IS EURO 995. THE SUBSCRIPTION WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDED EVERY YEAR FOR ANOTHER YEAR, UNLESS SPECIFIC WRITTEN NOTICE IS RECEIVED BY THE SERVICE PROVIDER OR THE SUBSCRIBER TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF THE SUBSCRIPTION. YOUR DATA WILL BE RECORDED. THE PLACE OF JURISDICTION IN ANY DISPUTE ARISING IS THE SERVICE PROVIDER'S ADDRESS. THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SERVICE PROVIDER AND THE SUBSCRIBER IS GOVERNED BY THE CONDITIONS STATED IN" THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INSERTION" ON WEB PAGE  WWW.EUROPEANCOMPANYNETWORK.COM”

 

The Federal Trade Commission(FTC) warns business owners against Directory Listing Scams.

How To Protect Your Business From the EU Business Directory Scam

• Always read the fine print and small details of a business subscription before you sign up. It will save you a ton of trouble later.
• Don’t pay for concealed charges, even under threats.
• Report cases to anti-fraud authorities in your country
• Don’t respond to threatening emails. Instead, save them as evidence.
• Learn more about protecting your business at www.ftc.gov/smallbusiness