Unfortunately, many organizations don’t know they exist, how to identify or avoid them. ScamsInc.com suggests these scams have been in existence since the 1970’s. With the estimated costs of the scams topping out over $200 million per year since 2000.
Office supply scams often start with a phone call from a fraudster claiming he or she is calling to verify an existing supply order or to try to sell you more supplies. He or she might offer special discounts or state you must reorder before prices go up. You get a large bill for items you never ordered, get low quality items, overpriced items or simply worthless items.
Better Business Bureau offers these tips to keep you safe from office supply scammers:
- Train your staff. Inform your staff about these scams and who to report it to if they receive one. Assign designated staff to purchase supplies and document all purchases. Advise anyone not authorized to order supplies to refer salespeople to the purchasing department or the appropriate staff. Instruct your purchasing department to not respond verbally to unsolicited phone offers for office supplies.
- Inspect invoices, bank statements and phone bills. Check your documentation before paying any bills. Ask for proof of orders before paying for anything you don't remember ordering. Never pay for products or services you did not order.
- Research unfamiliar companies. Do not do business with unknown sellers before verifying their reliability. Search online for a company name, website, physical location and phone number. You can also visit bbb.org for a list of BBB Accredited suppliers and Business Profiles on ones you're considering.
- Get everything in writing. Keep strict purchasing and accounting records. Many companies have every purchase documented by issuing a purchase order with an authorized signature and purchase order number.
- Keep a list of regularly used vendors. This will help employees determine which companies to trust and which ones may be scams.
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If you encounter one of these scams, report it to the Federal Trade Commission and the Attorney General. You can also report it to BBB Scam Tracker (bbb.org/scamtracker). BBB Scam Tracker, a free interactive online tool, provides people across North America with a place to report scams and to warn others of malicious or suspicious activities. Information is shared with law enforcement agencies for use in identifying and prosecuting scammers.
John North is president of the Dayton Better Business Bureau.
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