How To Avoid Toner Scams

kharraid
May 21, 2014
3 min read

I recently received an e-mail from a frustrated customer asking about Integrated Supply Center, who had contacted them about ordering Xerox toner. I immediately responded and told my customer that under no circumstances should the company order toner from these people. Unfortunately, my customer’s e-mail came after the company had been ripped off for more than $2,000.

Sadly, this is not the first time I have encountered this situation. These telephone scammers often identify themselves as suppliers for Xerox and inform unsuspecting persons that it is time to order toner, or that prices are soon to increase and big savings can be achieved by ordering now, etc. They will ask for information about the machine, such as model and serial number, as well as information about the company, such as who authorizes orders, etc. They will convince the person answering the phone that there is an urgent need to place an order, and will often fax an order confirmation. If the person agrees to place the order, or faxes back a signed confirmation, the scammers will send toner with an invoice for an extremely inflated amount.

Often, the scammers will make multiple phone calls. The initial phone call is designed to obtain information about the company and the equipment, information which will be used in subsequent calls to convince the person answering the call of the legitimacy of the caller. After all, if the caller knows the equipment type and serial number, as well as the name of the person authorized to place the order, then most people will accept that he is who he says he is.

By a strange coincidence, I happened to be visiting one of my customers when a toner scammer called. I asked my customer to let me handle the call, and I took the phone. The scammer informed me that he was from Xerox and told me the model number of the machine that had just been traded in. I do not know how he obtained that information, but it was accurate. Unfortunately for him, the information was also outdated, since the machine had just been replaced. I stated that he was not from Xerox, whereupon he insisted that he was. I explained that I was a sales rep for Xerox, and I knew for a fact that he was not calling from Xerox. At that point he became quite belligerent, used several expletives and announced that he would come through the phone and rip out my throat if I again said he was not from Xerox. I calmly explained that he had just proven he was not from Xerox because Xerox customer service would never use such language. He uttered more expletives and hung up.

As amusing as it was for me to field that phone call, I was extremely concerned about the fact that the scammer had obtained accurate information about the prior machine. I instructed my customer never to purchase from unsolicited callers, and urged them to call me immediately if they were contacted again by anyone trying to sell toner or other supplies. In addition, you can protect your company from this type of fraud with these safeguards:

File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
Designate specific key people in your organization to be responsible to order Xerox supplies for your equipment.
Before paying invoices, confirm that the supplies were actually approved to be ordered, the pricing is correct, and the product has been actually received.
When contacted by someone selling supplies, ask for the person’s name, company name, and their call back number. Be wary of anyone who refuses to provide this information. Xerox will always know your machine serial number.
If a supplier misrepresented their company or the goods being offered for sale, write the company a letter explaining there is misrepresentation and you are disputing the invoice.
Don’t be pressured into paying. Fraudulent companies often use threat of collection or legal action to get payment. Resources for dealing with these situations are available through the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org/), the Federal Trade Commission (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/supplies/), Call for Action, Inc. (http://www.callforaction.org/, an international, nonprofit network of hotlines dedicated to individual and small business to help resolve problems with businesses, government agencies and other organizations), and Imaging Supplies Coalition (http://www.isc-inc.org/, a nonprofit trade association that represents many original equipment manufacturers of consumable imaging supplies).
For further information or counsel, please contact Xerox Corporate Security at 1-888-434-2020.