Avoid Summer Toner Scams!!!

The latest trick in office supply scams - Fooling inexperienced employees into authorizing big purchases the company doesn’t need.

A TV station in Seattle is the latest business to fall for the trick. Here’s what happened, according to Jesse Jones of KING-TV; An operations administrator for the station’s sales department got a phone call from a company known as National Imaging Systems. The caller identified himself as a representative for the station’s toner supplier. It was time to send a new order, he said, and he just needed to confirm the station’s shipping address.

Not knowing the ins-and-outs of the company’s purchasing methods, she said OK and gave the caller the address. Big mistake! The station had never done business with National Imaging Systems before. Soon, the company received a box of six cartridges and a bill for $1,600.

The same thing happened to another Seattle business, Real Time Productions. This time, the call was from a supplier called Capitol Imaging Systems. Toner was sent, along with a bill for $637 — even though the company’s real supplier was already sending toner every month, pre-paid.
After months of phone calls and legal threats, KING-TV eventually got its money back.


Train employees!

The Better Business Bureau warns that this type of scam becomes more common during the summer, when key employees may be on vacation and many companies are staffed with temporary workers. Those employees may easily be duped into ordering shoddy, overpriced supplies.

To keep your company from getting duped, the BBB recommends training employees who answer telephones not to authorize the ordering of any supplies (and not to “verify” any information for an unknown vendor). Admins and other employees should respond to all unsolicited offers by stating, “I am not authorized to order anything. You will have to speak to the person in charge of ordering supplies and get a purchase order.”


An even better training procedure would be to tell everyone to only order your toner from IOT!

IOT is a Certified HP Business Partner, providing laser printer and copier support, sales and supplies to the Minneapolis, Saint Paul area since 1995. Located in Eagan, MN we proudly serve the Twin Cities metro area. Contact us at 651-605-2500, http://www.iotsolutions.com/ or email us at info@iotsolutions.com for more information.

Portions of this article referenced from http://www.docucrunch.com/new-scam-pushes-faulty-office-supplies