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Fake Invoice Alert from French Ship Agents
The Marseille-Fos Ship Agents’ Association (AACN) has issued a fake invoice alert to all its Members.
A non-existant company – C.A.M.S. Inc., 23 Place de la Joliette, BP 81965 Marseille, Cedex 2 13226, France – submitted an invoice for waste disposal in Marseille-Fos to the UK financial hub of Inchcape Shipping Services. It was only thanks to the vigilence of both the ship agent and shipowner that no payment was made.
Disturbingly, the invoice concerns a vessel which had called in Marseille-Fos and looks as if it has been approved by the vessel because it has been stamped with a stamp that shows the correct name Master’s name.
According to Inchcape Shipping Services in Marseille-Fos, two or three such incidents have been uncovered in various French ports in recent months and clearly particular attention needs to be paid to the verification of invoices before they are paid. In case of doubt, vessels should not hesitate to contact the agent or their P&I Correspondent in the port concerned.
Sarah Penwarden, Budd Marseille
sarah.penwarden@budd-pni.com