Millions of dollars are conned out of businesses each year by office supply schemers, “paper pirates” and “tone-phoners.”
Always be alert to questionable marketing practices by suppliers that may contact you.
- Office Supplies-pens, fax paper, photocopier paper, ink or toner
- Maintenance Supplies – light bulbs, cleaning compounds
- Advertisement Firms
- Solicitations as invoices
- Phony invoices
TACTICS OF A SCAM
- They rarely deal with an authorized purchasing agent
- They may mislead you to solicit an order
- They might try to con you with a fabricated tale of a “disaster”.
- They may claim to be conducting a survey of office equipment or updating their records.
- They may try to pressure you into placing an immediate order.
- They may offer free gifts.
- They may misrepresent merchandise, including the quality, type, size, and brand name of their product.
- They may refuse to accept returned merchandise.
YOU SHOULD DO THE FOLLOWING:
- Get everything in writing
- Refuse to make commitments with the unknown.
- Institute strict accounting controls
- Alert employees in your department to supply scam.
- Beware of strangers seeking names.
NEVER GIVE ACCOUNT NUMBERS OR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO ANYONE CALLING OR EMAILING YOU!!!!
Your bank will have your account information. Only give your VISA account information to vendors that you call.
Do not ever include account information or personal information in an email.
If you are the victim of a scam, you should:
- Contact Purchasing Card Services
- Be prepared to provide all of the details. Try to get the caller’s name, the company name, address, and phone number.