EPR fraudsters have begun targeting food companies with fake demands for packaging tax bills, The Grocer can reveal.
A warning has gone out after companies were approached with scam invoices for sums running into the tens of thousands, purporting to be from the extended producer responsibility scheme’s administrator, Pack UK.
Last month, producers received their first invoices for the assessment year from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
In their con, criminals behind the fraud claim Pack UK is issuing a recalculated invoice. However, officials have stressed this is a trick.
Paul Vanston, chief executive of the Industry Council for Packaging & the Environment (Incpen) this week wrote to its members after one of them was targeted by the scam.
“Courtesy of excellent caution from an Incpen member colleague we’ve contacted Pack UK and they have asked me to pass on a message to encourage vigilance on invoices as to whether they may be genuine or fake,” it says.
“The high monetary values associated with the packaging EPR system may entice criminals to issue fake invoices that purport to be from Pack UK.
“Companies of all sizes should exercise vigilance.”
Pack UK officials confirm that Pack UK notices of liability were only issued via the authorised government system.
They added any recalculations of invoices previously received would result in a new notice of liability being issued with a new value and stressed that the body was “not issuing recalculations” at this stage in the EPR process.
Pack UK added: “If any company receives what are purported to be invoices from Pack UK that raise your suspicions, please contact Pack UK’s EPR customer service desk directly to verify any issues, or to report a possible invoice scam.”
No comments yet