Fraudulent publisher wound up

RED Sky Creative Media has been wound-up by the High Court in Manchester, following an investigation by the Companies Investigation Branch of the Insolvency Service.

The Bolton-based company, also known as Community Wise Publications, cold-called small businesses to sell them advertising space in a Safety Awareness and Advice Journal that it had no intention of producing or circulating.

The company also pursued companies for payment of false invoices when they had not agreed to advertise, saying booklets which they had agreed to sponsor were ready and that a payment was required before the booklets could be sent to the schools.

More than 90 companies had complained to Trading Standards Offices and the company had received over £76,000 during a 77 day period between October 2007 and January 2008.