ABSTRACT
The scam merchants thrive on changes to the business environment, but instead of providing genuine solutions to business problems they provide only useless information - always after securing payment in advance. The grant consultancy scam works by offering the promise to small businesses that the consultant will prepare and present their case for grants to European grant-giving bodies. Rating appeals are most likely to succeed if the market valuation of the property has been reduced by a new development nearby or by changes to the fabric of the building. The deregulation of the energy market has been good news for the consumer, both business and domestic, as the introduction of competition has led to a general fall in prices. The invoices arrived, were certified by the marketing director and paid. Unfortunately, however, no one had done any research and the invoices came from bogus companies set up by the marketing director's friends and relatives.
