Nov 12 - Online fraudsters target aspiring musicians
The NFIB and the British Recorded Music Industry (BPI) are alerting aspiring artists to the threat of fraudsters contacting them online claiming to be from UK based record labels offering music contracts.
New and unsigned musical talent are approached via legitimate forums for cross industry discussions and sent false contracts to sign which request a forward payment to carry out administrative checks.
Once the money has been transferred the artist hears nothing more from the supposed record label, with the reality being they have in fact fallen victim to an advance fee fraud.
Spotting these scams is difficult, with fraudsters using genuine record label names and website links and listing London addresses and what appears to be UK telephone numbers
When receiving emails purporting to be from record labels the NFIB recommends using the following guidelines:
- Be extremely wary when receiving emails directly from someone purporting to be from a record label.
- Carry out your own research first before parting with any money. Obtain contact details of the record label and either email or phone the record label to check whether the email is genuine.
- Look out for platform telephone numbers starting 070 or 004470. These can be set-up on the Internet and answered anywhere in the world.
- Be cautious of any emails requesting the transfer of funds. Many fraudsters will request that payment is made by money transfer through organisations such as MoneyGram, Western Union or UKASH so that they are more difficult to locate.
- Be cautious of any emails requesting the supply of personal details as these could be used to carried out further fraud, for example identity fraud.
Det Supt Tony Crampton, Director of the NFIB, said:
“These fraudsters are using the anonymity of the internet to prey on the hopes and dreams of aspiring musicians. Money that could have been used to help kick-start their career is instead falling into the pockets of common criminals.
“At the NFIB we strongly recommend you never send money or pass on personal details after being contacted online without carrying out extensive checks, no matter how good the opportunity may look.”
Any UK citizens who believe that they have fallen victim to this fraud should report to Action Fraud.
