Dear GTA Member

I would like to bring to your attention a fraudulent Suffolk RFD certificate currently in circulation and being used by criminals to obtain illicit funds.

A Suffolk RFD (GTA member) has recently been approached by genuine gun owners from different parts of the country. In both cases, the owners had listed firearms for sale online and were contacted by a suspicious individual claiming to be an RFD operating from an address close to the legitimate member’s premises.

Both sellers became concerned and contacted the legitimate Suffolk RFD to verify the caller’s authenticity.

The fraudulent certificate lists the address as Saxtead, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP13 9QD. While the address is accurate, the RFD at that location has retired and ceased trading. The name shown on the certificate is false. In both incidents, the sellers became suspicious when the fraudulent buyer insisted on arranging courier collection directly from them, rather than using an RFD‑to‑RFD transfer.

The legitimate RFD notified Suffolk Police immediately after the first enquiry and the police have confirmed that the certificate is fraudulent. The offenders are attempting to use “certified cheques” as their method of payment.

Both Suffolk Police and the Metropolitan Police have asked the GTA to share this information with members to help raise awareness within the trade. The GTA has referred this matter to the NCA, and both Suffolk and the Metropolitan Police are treating it as an active investigation, therefore if you have any further information please contact those forces.

Contact numbers:

Suffolk: 01473 613500 Metropolitan: 020 7230 1212

Best Regards

Paul Green, Technical Director The Gun Trade Association Fraudulent_RFD.jpg JPG (51.4 KB) Download

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