Licensees continue to contact The Publican over scams

Floods of licensees have contacted The Publican claiming they have been ripped off by rogue advertising companies.

Following the exclusive story last week many licensees say they are received calls three to four times a week from companies asking them to advertise in magazines supporting the emergency services.

However, the scam is much wider with companies selling bogus advertising in all types of publications from air ambulance to schools to raise awareness of safety and drug issues.

Many licensees pay up believing they are supporting the local community, while in some cases the company says the licensee has already agreed to the advert and asks them for money.

Lou Armstrong, licensee of the Halfway House in Oldham, Greater Manchester never agrees to these telephone scam.

He said: "I was approached last week by such a scam as you are reporting in The Publican - on this occasion they portrayed themselves as being from the Local Drug Awareness Group and that they would supply copy and a list of the '100 schools that they had distributed magazines to'. Then the agreed advert and account would be sent out to me.

I was told that I had agreed the deal personally and that convincingly they had spoken to me in April."

Licensee Trevor Parry of the Queens Head in Ripon, North Yorkshire, says he received an invoice labelled urgent last week for £190 for an advert which he had agreed to place in a air ambulance magazine. He says he has dealt with these types of companies before and never agrees to advertise.

"They never actually send you the advert you have placed just an invoice with urgent on it," he said.

If you have been hit by one of these scams let us know. We will collating evidence of the companies involved. So let us know by emailing scam@thepublican.com