B e w a r e

[Canonised]

After an absence of a few years, these jokers are back in business.

For those in business, be careful when your office clerks receive such letters from a "government-related, merlion logo lookalike" organisation, asking you to fill up the particulars and return in a unpaid, non-government provided envelope.

Once your girls chop and sign and send back the form, you will poorer by $288.
Remember to remind them not to sign anything on your behalf.

 

[armadillo]

I think ever receive once too, lucky never send any money
Thanks for the warning.

 

[google]

Can post some hell bank notes to them?

 

[redstone]

Sounds like the frequent "Singapore / Asia Business Pages" scam

 

[symmetrix]

The Engrish is burning my eyes @_@

 

[edutilos-]

What exactly is this organisation and how does registration help you?

As a side note, I find the fact that the letter is signed off by "Trade Register Singapore" with the signature being TRS in some cursive font very amusing.

 

[Canonised]

What exactly is this organisation and how does registration help you?

As a side note, I find the fact that the letter is signed off by "Trade Register Singapore" with the signature being TRS in some cursive font very amusing.

It's not TRS, it is IRS (Inland Revenue of Singapore) :sweat: :sweat: :sweat:

Also note, no fax number, no contact names, etc....

 

[TheoDR]

Facebook profile of site owner: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002367685675

Based on email: g_s1208@yahoo.com

Email sourced from: http://whois.domaintools.com/traderegister.com.sg

 

[TheoDR]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3592649

Australian's register scam nets 'bucketloads' of cash
5:00 AM Monday Sep 20, 2004

An Australian entrepreneur has been sprung after duping an estimated 2000 New Zealand tradespeople into paying almost $200 each to register on his website.

Gary Solah got the jump on the Government as it prepares to introduce mandatory licensing of trades.

His Christchurch company sent official-looking letters to thousands of businesses urging them to join the New Zealand Trade Register to ensure their survival.

Names and addresses were apparently obtained through the Yellow Pages.

Many paid the $196, and were listed on the company's online register.

Solah was busted operating a similar scheme in Australia.

The Certified Builders Association had scores of calls from builders wanting to know if the register was the official version.

"He would have made bucketloads of money," said chief executive Garry Shuttleworth.

"It was very much opportunistic. The letters looked very genuine and it was designed to deceive right from the outset."

Mr Shuttleworth believes up to 2000 plumbers, electricians, builders, roofing contractors, bricklayers and others could have fallen into the trap.

The Commerce Commission agreed the letter was misleading, and took Solah and his company, Trade Registrations New Zealand, to court for breaching the Fair Trading Act.

In Christchurch District Court last month, it argued that the use of an official-looking name and logo, and references to Government departments, implied that the register was linked to the state.

The letter's showing a Wellington mailing address and 0800 phone numbers reinforced the impression of Government involvement.

But there was no Wellington office or staff. Mail sent to a Wellington post box was redirected to a post box in the Christchurch suburb of Riccarton, and then to a third box in suburban Sydenham.

That box was cleared by a Trade Registrations employee.

Solah denied that he or his company had any intention to mislead. His lawyer argued that the words "trade register" did not apply exclusively to the Government.

In his reserved judgment, Judge Robert Kerr ruled that false and misleading representations were made. He found Solah and the company guilty on 10 of 15 counts under the act.

Solah and Trade Registrations will be sentenced in December.

Banned and warned

* In 1997, Australia's Federal Court issued an order preventing Gary Solah and his Gold Coast business from operating, publishing or promoting any directory.

* Solah was also ordered to refund money to customers.

* Last year, Western Australia's Consumer Minister, John Kobelke, gave a public warning about Solah's web-based Australian Trade Register.

- NZPA

 

[TheoDR]

From Gary Solah's facebook profile.

 

[TheoDR]

http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.a...d=114919&minister=Kobelke&admin=Gallop&page=3

Tue 11 February, 2003
Australian trade register warning

Portfolio: Consumer and Employment Protection
11/02/03

Small business should be on the look-out for registration and business forms asking for money from the Australian Trade Register (ATR), Consumer Protection Minister John Kobelke warned today.

“Small business operators are being plagued with unsolicited mail from this company, whose principal, Gary John Solah, resides in Thailand,” Mr Kobelke said.

“An official-looking form requesting $217 is accompanied by a letter suggesting Government departments and other companies and businesses need to join the website http://www.traderegister.com.au to secure business.

“The website, although in existence, is very basic and falls short of Mr Solah’s claims in his letter and does not represent value for money.”

Consumer Protection investigations found while the Australian Trade Register’s documentation displays a Canberra address, their mail is diverted to a Gold Coast post office box.

A major concern is that the ‘Registration and Business Form’ that ATR uses looks as though a fee is payable to a Government agency, when it is only an invitation to advertise.

“Investigations have also found the promotional activities of ATR to be cyclical, with February being the peak month for targeting small businesses,” Mr Kobelke said.

“Business operators should be particularly vigilant with their incoming mail and payment of accounts.

“Mr Solah has not been very co-operative with Consumer Protection investigators and has refused to meet with them either here in Australia or in Thailand. He has declined to provide any kind of personal contact details other than those of his secretarial service.

“Businesses should consider the questionable value of this website being able to attract customers for them and how they could better spend $217.”

Consumer Protection is continuing to follow the situation.

Businesses receiving offers from ATR can forward them to Consumer Protection postage paid, at Reply Paid 64772, Locked Bag 14 Cloisters Square, WA 6850 or call 1300 30 40 54 for further information and help.

Minister's office: 9222 9211

 

[lenrek]

Can post some hell bank notes to them?

I like the idea. LOLx...

 

[Canonised]

http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.a...d=114919&minister=Kobelke&admin=Gallop&page=3

very good detective works! well done. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[TheoDR]

very good detective works! well done. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Thanks!

Apparently Solah posted on hwz ( http://deluxeforums.hardwarezone.com.sg/showthread.php?p=58359627&posted=1#post58359627 ) saying that I'm his biz partner (like huh? LOL) but the post got deleted. Here's the one that was quoted before deletion though:

Some people may have noticed a posting by TheoDR casting aspersions on www traderegister com sg
Very comical as TheoDR real name is Geoffrey Allan Beckett.
Mr Beckett used to be a silent 50/50 partner in
Traderegister(Singapore) Pte Ltd and he was VERY instrumental in starting up that website, using Mr Solah as the front man and composing the introductory letter used to this day, until his greed got the better of him and he started his own opposition website calling it SG Trade Register.
VERY SIMILAR SOUNDING NAME eh ?
Mr Beckett then used the confusion caused by similar company names to set about to falsely invoice and steal all the Traderegister (Singapore) pte Ltd clients.
TheoDR (Mr Beckett) also posted a blog mentioning a very old letter from the Australian WA Consumer Affairs minister warning consumers about www traderegister com au however TheoDR (BECKETT) failed to mention that he is 50/50 partner in that business also and boasts full responsibility for initiating that business, also using Mr Solah as front man.
Just to give you an idea about Geoffrey Beckett's character, the photo he has used for TheoDR is that of his young son Geoff Jr.
VERY COLD HEARTED

So, based on sgtraderegister.com:

http://whois.domaintools.com/sgtraderegister.com

Domain Name.......... sgtraderegister.com
Creation Date........ 2002-09-10
Registration Date.... 2002-09-10
Expiry Date.......... 2012-09-10
Organisation Name.... Geoff Beckett
Organisation Address. PO Box 162
Organisation Address.
Organisation Address. Runaway Bay
Organisation Address. 4216
Organisation Address. Qld
Organisation Address. AUSTRALIA

Admin Name........... Geoff Beckett
Admin Address........ PO Box 162
Admin Address........
Admin Address........ Runaway Bay
Admin Address........ 4216
Admin Address........ QLD
Admin Address........ AUSTRALIA
Admin Email.......... geoffreybeckett@hotmail.com
Admin Phone.......... +61.755745399
Admin Fax............ +61.755745199

Tech Name............ Domain Administrator
Tech Address......... Dascom Bldg
Tech Address......... Varsity Parade
Tech Address......... Robina
Tech Address......... 4226
Tech Address......... QLD
Tech Address......... AUSTRALIA
Tech Email...........
Tech Phone........... +61.755539222
Tech Fax............. +61.755933557
Name Server.......... diablo.onthenet.com.au
Name Server.......... liberty.onthenet.com.au

Then based on the email search, his facebook account (and picture) turns up: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1821547814

Thumbs up for Solah highlighting to us another similar site though, haha!

 

[zane80]

This joker of a scammer is back. He is now operating at International Plaza, same building as ACRA, what a joke.

Trade Register Singapore - Business Search

 

[Foxshade]

Now the web seems to be hosted by Peer 1 Dedicated Hosting