Companies have been warned to watch out for express delivery services that charge a fee for delivering government documents because it could be part of a sting that has already caught out a number of firms.

The Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau said it had received complaints from several companies, including some joint-ventures, which reported paying for mail sent by the bureau.

Bureau officials said they had never sent any government documents that charge receivers.

Companies that have paid the charge reported to the bureau that it was around 10 yuan (US$1.23).

A Japanese trading company in Pudong New Area received fake documents from a company called the Shanghai Qirui Express Delivery Co, according to the bureau.

The document number, seal and receipt were found to be fake.

Qirui Express has not been located because the address and telephone number on its receipt are fake, the bureau said.

(Shanghai Daily June 9, 2006)