From Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina

RALEIGH — Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina warns that a fake company, Scholastic School Supply, is sending phony invoices to schools and school districts throughout the country in the amount of $647.50 for a bulk purchase of text books that were never requested or received. The company is using a name similar to the publisher Scholastic, which specializes in educational materials. Scammers often use names that are similar to well-known businesses to make their scams seem legitimate.

All of the phony invoices appear to be for the same amount — $647.50 — and contain realistic, but fake, identification information for the company and the books themselves. Trying to call the listed contact phone leads to a circuit of voicemails explaining it will be some time before anyone can return a phone call because of the busy time of year. Consumers tell us messages to the e-mail address are not returned.

Some versions of the scam list the company’s address in New Jersey or Las Vegas. Better Business Bureau serving Southern Nevada has been unable to find any corporate filings, business licensing or other documentation for the business in that state. BBB in Nevada has received a total of 51 complaints and has also seen more than 2,000 inquiries regarding this scam.

Schools and other organizations should remember the following tips to help avoid scams:

Encourage your staff to watch for invoice scams. Centralize purchasing and billing so that the person or persons paying the invoices know what was ordered and who the vendors are.

Make sure the invoice is coming from a valid source.  Check out the company that is sending the invoice with bbb.org.

For more information, visit bbb.org.

 

About BBB serving Eastern North Carolina: Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation serving 33 counties in eastern North Carolina. The organization is funded primarily by BBB Accredited Business fees from more than 3,000 local businesses and professional firms.