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		EU to investigate "City Guide" scam Thursday, 17th July 2008 Businesses across the East Midlands have fallen victim to the "European City Guide" scam. They are invited to take what appears to be a free listing in a guide book. Then they start receiving bills, and a series of increasingly threatening letters, warning of court action if they fail to pay up. Many simply pay to avoid the hassle. Others write to their MEP. East Midlands MEP Roger Helmer has had a number of such complaints. Periodically the operators of this scam are closed down by trading standards offices, but they pop up again in a new location. They have proved very difficult to eradicate. Now the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament (on which Helmer sits) is taking action. They have appointed a Maltese MEP, Simon Busittil, as "Rapporteur" to investigate the scam and see what can be done to put a stop to it. Mr. Busittil is asking for victims of the scam to let him have details of their experiences. These can be sent locally to Roger Helmer MEP at; Boswell House, 9 Prospect Court, Courteenhall Road, Blisworth, Northants NN7 3DG. He will pass them on to Mr. Busittil. Helmer commented: "I am very pleased that this new initiative is happening, and I hope very much we will find a permanent solution. Meantime the best advice to local businesses is: don't respond to any "City Guide" offer. If you have responded, don't pay, however threatening the letters get. I am not aware of any business actually taken to court, and I doubt that any court would entertain such a claim".