Is convicted ex accountant Darren Upton practicing?

[Bagpuss]

What does it say? I tried a couple of variations of his email but no OOO.

DJU was a Leeds fan I believe.

No he was a Newcastle Fan

See last post here:
https://www.contractoruk.com/forums/...6-years-2.html

Don’t give anyone direct access to your bank account.
Don’t give your accountant cash to pay the taxman.

That’s for any accountant.

As said by WordIsBond that wasn't enough, the key of his fraud was the ability to be an agent for your affairs with HMRC allowing him to "act on your behalf" including directing "refunds" to fake accounts. He did that for clients who noticed the payment details he sent were wrong. So he even emptied the money out of HMRC accounts using their processes. They have no duty of care, you told them he is acting on your behalf, so you owe them the money that was stolen. How would you protect against that?

Again as said above "Even with an accountant you trust, verify everything."

[WordIsBond]

Don’t give anyone direct access to your bank account.
Don’t give your accountant cash to pay the taxman.

That’s for any accountant.

Sorry, that's not enough.

Check Companies House to make sure your annual return has been filed properly.

Check your online account with HMRC to confirm your Corporation Tax return is filed timely AND that it matches the CT return which you were given and signed. If it should show less tax due, and a refund being claimed when you claimed none, contact HMRC immediately.

Even with an accountant you trust, verify everything.

But to be clear, you don't have to give access to your bank account to have a problem. If your 'agent' (accountant) tells you to pay X, and you pay it, and then files a return showing Y is due, and claims a refund from HMRC (because you 'overpaid') and they pay that refund in a way that he can access it, you've got a mess. When the truth comes out they'll want their money back.

If you want to be really safe, I suppose you could not authorise your accountant as your agent, pay him to prepare your returns, and file them yourself. But you're probably ok if you verify everything, and let him know that's your policy. If you get a crooked accountant he'll target someone who won't catch it for a while rather than the guy who will catch it within a week or two.

[malvolio]

Hi, just signed up after reading this, as I'm wondering what advise you'd all give to a current FB client?

You have to trust your accountant. If you feel they have not been honest or careful enough, move on to one you do trust. It's your business you're protecting, not theirs.

[Lance]

Hi, just signed up after reading this, as I'm wondering what advise you'd all give to a current FB client?

Don’t give anyone direct access to your bank account.
Don’t give your accountant cash to pay the taxman.

That’s for any accountant.

[worriedtony]

Darren *** Roberts born ** December 1971

Hi, just signed up after reading this, as I'm wondering what advise you'd all give to a current FB client?

[Invisiblehand]

I have no idea where he was born, but he does have a very strong North East accent.

He also supports Newcastle.

He also has an interesting out of office at the moment, if anyone wants to check it. I'm sure you can guess his email address.

What does it say? I tried a couple of variations of his email but no OOO.

DJU was a Leeds fan I believe.

[Nigel Miller]

I have no idea where he was born, but he does have a very strong North East accent.

He also supports Newcastle.

He also has an interesting out of office at the moment, if anyone wants to check it. I'm sure you can guess his email address.

[WordIsBond]

It is just possible that DR (assuming he exists) wasn't born in the UK, in which case he wouldn't show up on UK birth records.

Just saying...

Thanks for pointing that out, nobody thought of that, did they? Oh, wait.

And for all we know, the real Darren J Roberts if he is not DJU could have been born to British parents in Australia, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, or a hundred other places where Britain once ruled the waves, and so unsurprisingly might not turn up on this listing.

[Fred Bloggs]

It is just possible that DR (assuming he exists) wasn't born in the UK, in which case he wouldn't show up on UK birth records.

Just saying...

Very true. That's just one simple line of inquiry. There are plenty of options. Has D*R been married? If so, he's from Yorkshire, likely there's a marriage record around for that in the public domain. Has he had kids? Likewise, public domain information. Lots of lines of inquiry, how about did D*R ever go to university, they keep alumni records? And so on. It would take the police two minutes to look at national insurance numbers, bank records, school history, driving licence, insurance policies etc... They'd nail it very quickly if they wanted to. They have DJU's DNA on file too.

If you take a trip to the UK government records office, you could buy a copy of the birth certificates for DJU and if one exists, for D*R born in December 1971. Of course, there remains the possibility of being born overseas. But there's also the possibility, given all the other "coincidences" and the photographic similarity, that DJU and D*R are the same person. Right now, I'm pretty sold on the idea.

[Mordac]

But how many Darren Roberts were born in December 1971? If there were none, then DU/DR are the same and DR is an alias,

It is just possible that DR (assuming he exists) wasn't born in the UK, in which case he wouldn't show up on UK birth records.

Just saying...