An Ashby firm says it is being scammed by fraudsters pretending to be the company.

UK polymer distributor Plastribution has revealed the extent of the problem - and is warning its clients to beware.

A statement issued by the Charterpoint Way-based polymer distribution says: "We want to bring to your attention a concerning issue involving impersonation fraud. 

"Criminals have been exploiting publicly available information to fraudulently obtain credit lines from polymer suppliers and then obtain goods that they never pay for. 

"This scam primarily targets a variety of polymer producers, using financial data obtained from public records, including records held at Companies House."

It adds the common features of the fraud are:

• Financial data from the public records of Plastribution Limited, which may extend until at least April 2022. It's possible that the fraudsters are also fabricating fictitious data beyond that date.

• The goods are typically intended for export to African countries like Uganda.

• Email communications originate from a similar but incorrect address, such as '[email protected]'. Please note the addition of the letter 's' to 'plastribution'.

• The domain www.plastributions.co.uk does not contain any relevant information.

• The telephone number provided may be subtly amended.

• The fraudsters may include a 'WhatsApp' number as part of their communication.

The statement adds: "At this point, the criminals seem to be primarily targeting polymer producers, utilising a database of information obtained from a source other than Plastribution. 

"However, it is possible that they may extend their efforts to compounders, distributors, traders, and other potential sources of supply.

"We strongly advise all existing suppliers to verify any changes in delivery location by contacting a known Plastribution representative through established communication channels."

Plastribution has issued what action its clients need to take.

The statement says: "To protect your interests, Plastribution recommends implementing robust due diligence procedures and adopting 'KYC' (know your customer) precautions, including:

• Verifying the legitimacy of the trade through a personally known contact and using previously established means of communication, such as mobile phones or email.

• Scrutinising the authenticity of delivery locations, especially if they are in a different country.

• Conducting visits to new customers whenever possible.

• Validating trade legitimacy by cross-checking registered addresses.

• Not solely relying on credit reference reports or supplied financial data.

• Exercising utmost caution when verifying email addresses."

Mike Boswell, Plastribution's managing director, told Plasteurope.com: "It is regrettable that criminals are exploiting Plastribution's solid financial reputation to deceive suppliers and acquire goods through fraudulent means.

"While we can do little to prevent impersonation fraud entirely, we aim to raise awareness and strongly advise potential victims to exercise comprehensive precautions when extending credit and scrutinising new delivery locations. Furthermore, we want to emphasise that Plastribution's IT security remains uncompromised."