The Surrey County Childminding Association recently issued the following notice:
We have been alerted by other FIS's within the country to the following scam.
"A Childminder from Peasenhall rang earlier, her daughter answered the telephone to a man who first of all told her daughter he was from CIS then when the phone was passed over he said he was a police officer. He told her not to be alarmed when he said he was a police officer and that he knew Childminders had to be inspected by the police and Ofsted. He wanted her to pay £195 to have an advert placed in a magazine that would be distributed to all houses in her postcode area. He didn't give the name of the 'magazine'. The CM said 'sorry I'm full I don't need to advertise'. She dialled 1471 and message was 'caller withheld number'."
"I thought I would make you aware of a telephone call I had today from a childminder in Needham Market. She received a phone call from a gentleman called Rob who said he worked for the Police on the Community Aware magazine. He told the childminder that she was one of 6 childminder in the area who had been specially selected to be asked if they wanted to advertise in the magazine. The cost quoted was £145 and she was told if she signed up now she wouldn't be charged till the end of August. The childminder declined and contacted me to let me know of the approach, as she was unsure whether it was a scam."
Regards,
Sue Monk - Senior Childminding Development Officer
Surrey County Council
Early Years & Childcare Service
(SCCMA has given me permission to cut and paste!)