Governing body unveils office supply scam.
The City of Airdrie and Better Business Bureau (BBB) are alerting Canadian businesses of an office supplies scam, reports Airdrie City View.
An individual will call requesting information regarding office supplies, including toner cartridges and paper, and for the identity of the head of procurement. At which point they will be contacted to falsely inform the employee that they are out of the product and need approval for a shipment.
The City of Airdrie was subsequently sent an invoice for as much as five to 10 times the amount of the product delivered, concerning toner cartridges.
Josh Skapin, Communications and Marketing Coordinator, BBB, commented: “It is common because it works on mass volume and generally has a low overhead. Everything they get is profit.
“It is most frequently used with office supplies and online advertising. The person who calls is very convincing and they speak to you as if you already have an account with them and they just need you to give the go ahead.
“We really encourage employers to be conscious of it and make the employees aware of this. Make sure your employees know which companies you deal with.”