Printing and sign companies should ensure that their sales, customer service staff and estimators are able to spot bogus quotation requests to avoid exposing the business to financial risk.
The warning from Printing Industries comes as a new wave of scam print quotation requests hits franchise operators.
Printing Industries National Communications and Technical Services Manager, Joe Kowalewski, said the franchise operations were being targeted nationally with the most recent instances this week focussing on Victorian outlets.
“The scam operators are following their usual routine of e-mailing quotation requests and following up with phone calls, often citing local contact addresses to draw in unsuspecting staff,” he said.
“For example, earlier this week a scammer identified himself as Jay Martins of the Church Of Christ, 15 Urban Street , Braeside VIC 3195 and requested a quote for 100,000 single-sided full colour A4 flyers. The address was false.
“The artwork featured the wording: “Glory be to God – Jesus Christ is Alive” with graphics depicting open hands and a crucifix.
“The contact e-mail address followed the usual practice of utilising free email accounts, in this case a Yahoo address - jaymartins129@yahoo.com “
Mr Kowalewski said the scammers usually ask for quotations without freight costs to maintain their facade by suggesting the job will be collected locally and paid for via a credit card account. As the communications progress the scammer introduces the need to ship the printing overseas, in this case to APOSTLE. Seth Wilson, CHURCH OF CHRIST GHANA, 30 HILL STREET,ACCRA-NEWTOWN GHANA 00233
“The franchise was asked to provide a freight quote and to include the cost of the freight on the final bill to be paid by credit card. Details of a “recommended” freight company were provided – Speedway Freight & Logistics Co Ltd. Email contacts were provided, again using free e-mail accounts speedwayfreight@cooltoad.com and speedwayfreightandlogistics@yahoo.com this case the franchise operator, a Printing Industries member, became suspicious about the job, and was able to get advice from Printing Industries which confirmed that the company was being targeted in a scam.
“The next step would have been a request by the freight company for prepayment by the franchise via a Western Union money transfer. This is the core of the scam, getting the printing company to outlay its own funds on the basis of receiving reimbursement when the account is finalised.
“Of course there will be no reimbursement as the credit cards either won’t work or are stolen and the printer, if able to use them, will have to reimburse the issuing bank.”
Mr Kowalewski said that even if companies become aware they are being targeted by a scam, they had often used staff time to prepare quotes, modify artwork, liaise with the scammer and perhaps even arrange stock.
“It’s important that all staff be made aware of how the scammers operate and learn to recognise the bogus requests before they waste time on them,” he said.
“We have a large ScamWatch section of our website: www.printnet.com.au dedicated to identifying the scammers via a listing of the names and e-mail accounts they use in our Find-a-Scammer section. It also identifies the bogus shipping company details and has examples of the e-mails they use. There is also a section with the tell-tale signs of scams along with samples of artwork used.”
Mr Kowalewski advised that sales and customer staff be familiarised with this information to help protect businesses.
Printing Industries members unsure of the legitimacy of quotations they receive can submit them for confidential assessment via scamwatch@printnet.com.au
Printing Industries Association of Australia
www.printnet.com.au
