The Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) has warned the general public against persons parading themselves as officers from the ORC.
According to the ORC, some faceless persons purporting to be ‘staff’ or ‘Lawyers’ of the 0ffice have been defrauding unsuspecting clients.
The ORC in a statement issued Wednesday, February 15, 2023, said: “These fraudsters direct unsuspecting Company Officials and Business Owners through text messages and phone calls to make mobile money payments to certain phone numbers by setting deadlines along with threats to strike their Company names that are in default off the Companies Register.”
“They sometimes send a truncated copy of the Office Press Release urging clients to file their Annual Returns and Renewal, through WhatsApp to legitimize their fraudulent activities on Company Officials and Business Owners,” the release signed by the Registrar of Companies of the ORC, Jemima Mamaa Oware added.
According to the release, the Office of the Registrar of Companies does not have, or operate a mobile money account neither has the Office assigned any ‘staff’ nor ‘Lawyer’ with the schedule to strike off Companies in default from the Register.
Therefore, the ORC is urging its clients, stakeholders and the General Public to note that all payments on transactions are done at in-house Fidelity Bank with the Bank’s authorised receipt issued to clients on their payments.
“The Office, therefore, cautions our cherished clients and stakeholders to ignore such scam phone calls, text and WhatsApp messages eliciting mobile money payments on any transaction in the name of ORC or Registrar-General’s Department (RGD) and avoid the use of ‘intermediaries or agents’ when transacting business with the Office,” it warned.
The Office says it has engaged the security agencies to investigate, apprehend and prosecute such faceless persons behind such fraudulent activities on its clients.
