Police are warning aspiring musicians to be on their guard, after learning that fraudsters are using online forums claiming to be from record labels offering music contracts….
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), run by City of London Police, and the British Recorded Music Industry (BPI) have sent out a fraud alert to raise awareness of the fraud.
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, prompting the NFIB to produce guidelines on their website.
The NFIB is one of the most advanced police intelligence systems in the world, using millions of reports of fraud to help catch serial fraudsters and provide a better picture of the nature of fraud .
The Bureau is government-funded and run by the City of London Police, which is the National Lead Force for fraud, in partnership with police forces and the public and private sector.
The Bureau’s Director, Det Supt Tony Crampton, 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.”
