Copier and Office Supply Scams
They are back at it again! The "toner phoners" are working the campus once again looking for unsuspecting victims!
Sales representatives from toner companies that are calling departments that have leases on copiers claiming to be Xerox, Canon, etc. These companies have representatives contact departments claiming to be representatives from your copier company and they tell you that they are "verifying" your copier number for their records or need to send you toner. They may also contact you asking about your printer information and request they be allowed to send you "free" toner for trial.
DO NOT GIVE OUT ANY PRINTER OR COPIER MACHINE NUMBERS OVER THE PHONE!
If the callers do manage to find someone that provides them a model number, they will tell you that you must change to a new toner or buy replacement toner, or that they have either free toner or a great deal on toners "especially for you if you buy right now." If you show any interest at all or sound like you believe they are legitimate, they will ask for your personal and/or shipping information. Once they have "hooked" you, they send the merchandise, but then send an invoice for hundreds of dollars higher than FSU would normally pay for the same toners.
DO NOT FALL VICTIM TO THESE SCAMS!
If you receive one of these phone calls, tell them you are definitely NOT interested and DO NOT want their product. You can tell them to contact Procurement Services directly. Whatever you do: Do not give them any personal information about you, your department, or machine and get them off the phone immediately!
If you have a copier under a contract with a legitimate copier company, the representatives will already have your machine number. If the caller says they just want to verify their file information, tell them to send your representative out to verify the number themselves or that you will call your representative back with the information. Normally, at this point the caller will realize you are not falling for their scheme and hang up. Then you can contact the specific copier company representative that services your machine at the number you always use to contact them to verify whether they actually need the information.
Never authorize any company to send anything without going through proper channels first. Always keep in mind that no one is authorized to purchase items for the University without a Purchase Order, regardless of what a supplier may tell you. FSU has established contracts for printer, fax, and copier toners that provide great pricing. As always, Procurement Services is here to assist you in obtaining the best price for your items. Just give us a call at 644-6850.
Invoice Scams
Some University departments have received fraudulent telecom maintenance “invoices” via the U.S. Mail from National Telecompany, Inc. that in reality, are solicitations for business. These types of solicitations have been widely reported nationwide as an operation that targets governmental and educational institutions.
National Telecompany is NOT an authorized supplier for the University. Do NOT pay this “invoice.”
Please advise fiscal staff to be aware of this type of fraudulent activity:
- Watch for solicitations disguised as bills. Fake invoices are sometimes marked with the notice “This is not a bill” in fine print.
- Review all bills and invoices carefully. Be especially wary of any from companies that you are unfamiliar with.
- Know the suppliers you use regularly, and keep a list.
- Make sure you have effective internal controls in place for the payment of invoices.
- Verify all invoices with the person who authorized the purchase.
In August of 2013 our University received fake invoices from another company called US Telecom. The video link provides you with more information about this practice.http://fox6now.com/2012/12/19/contact-6-investigates-us-telecom-inc-s-immitation-invoice/
If you have further questions regarding possible scams, contact Procurement Services at 644-6850.