Guest Author - Robin Rounds Whittemore

The phone rings in an office. The receptionist answers. The voice on the other end says, “Hi again, this is Joe with the customer service department in charge of your copier. If it is no trouble, could you help me verify the make and model number of your copier?”

First, think about this. Did you hear the name of a company being given? Try asking him for it. He will most likely hang up. They are most likely not going to give you any information on their end.

Here is something else to think about. If he really worked in customer service and took care of your copier, why would he need the make and model or serial number? Doesn’t he already have it? If you try to get the name of the company, his name and phone number, he will most likely hang up on you.

If your company has caller id, did their phone number some up on the screen? If it did, be sure to write it down and give it to the proper authorities.

Inform the person on the other end of the line that you will take their name, company name and number and have the person in charge of ordering get back with them. Usually, they will hang up on you and no message will be necessary.

Why do they hang up on you? Because this is a scam, it is illegal, and they know it. The Federal Trade Commission and the USPS have investigated many companies that have pulled the scam. People have been convicted and arrested for this type of fraud.

One of the best ways to protect your company is to make it a policy not to give out the names of people in charge of purchasing your office supplies. This also applies to salesmen who walk in unannounced on “cold calls”. They may not like it, but unfortunately, it is also a part of their job to face rejection.

If you did not order supplies, legally, you do not have to pay for them. Also, according to the FTC, you are also under no obligation to return the merchandise. This rule also comes into play if your company received unordered merchandise and was invoiced for it.

Should you have been a victim, do not be embarrassed. Report the incident to the Better Business Bureau, the FTC, the Attorney General, or the local consumer protection office. You could even contact your local news station that investigates fraud.

When people come forward, scam artists can be stopped quicker than if people just accept what happened as a “lesson”.