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DECEMBER 2016
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GROW
L
ike death and taxes, you can count on
scammers.They are present in every
industry. Where there is opportunity, there
will be always be opportunists, ready to take
advantage of lax security and the increasing
anonymity provided by digital commerce.
There are a few common scams in the
promotional products industry. One of the
most frequent scams involves fraudulent
orders that are placed with a stolen credit
card. The payment will appear to be valid
and the distributor fulfills the order, but
when the actual credit card holder notices
the charge and initiates a charge-back, the
distributor loses the payment.
Another type of scam involves identify theft
of the distributor or supplier. In some states,
scammersmay easily access and change
company information, such as amailing
address, and use it for their own ends. In one
case, a distributor ended up having to fight over
$4,000 in phone line charges due to the scam.
How To Identify Scams
While it may be difficult to identify
scammers after the deed, let alone
prosecute them, there are some consistent
giveaways that can tip you off to a potential
scam before you become a victim.
Use these tips from Brian Pritchard,
director of IT at SAGE, as best practices
for every order. If you see multiple
characteristics in an order, it becomes even
more important to investigate further.
1
Look for poor spelling or
grammar.
“Usually something will
just look strange about the email,”
says Pritchard. “Poor English or
grammar is a dead giveaway.”
2
Notice whether they ask for
personal details in an email.
“Your bank will never ask for
security information or account
information in an email.”
3
Don’t open attachments or click
links if it’s from someone you
don’t know or if you are not
expecting it.
Pritchard cautions,
“Even if the email looks like it
might be legitimate, contact the
business or institution directly
from their site. Scammers usually
pose as large companies, banks,
airlines, shipping companies and
large retailers. They may also pose
as a customer saying a payment
or invoice is attached. Contact
the client separately to verify
what they are sending.”
4
Be wary of orders from new
customers submitted through your
website.
“Popular scams often
start with asking for a quote on a
large quantity of items. It could be
anything, but USB drives and blank
shirts are particularly popular.”
You’ve Been Scammed!
KnowThe Red Flags Of A
Fraudulent Order Before It’sToo Late
by
Tara Mibus