The scheme starts when the caller tricks an employee into accepting a gift a free promotional item with a passing reference to merchandise or services. You receive overpriced unordered merchandise, followed by an invoice with the employee s name. When the organization questions the employee, the fraudulent seller is betting that the employee will be nervous about the gift when he denies placing the order. The hope is that the organization will doubt the employee. When this scheme works, the organization believes that the employee blundered into ordering something that must be paid for.
Scam artists spend significant time and energy or collection efforts.
They send as many invoices as it takes to get your money. In extreme cases, they'll resort to real or bogus collection agencies and threats of legal action. An organization that pays for unordered goods and services also may be targeted for additional scams. Additional invoices follow as long as you continue to pay. The con artist also may sell your organization's name to other scam operator's or move to another bogus operation and target you in a new scheme.