How to Avoid Telemarketing Scams

In supply telemarketing scams, dishonest vendors pose as legitimate vendors of your machine's office supplies. The victim is then billed at over-inflated prices, sometimes for inferior or incorrect product.

Telemarketing fraud typically targets small businesses and charities; however, no business organization is immune.

Typical Scam Tactics

Obtaining information for your office machines.
To establish credibility with potential victims, fraudulent operators will call a targeted business to obtain serial number and model information on office equipment. Often, they pose as the legitimate, authorized source for supplies, claiming they are updating their database and need to verify information concerning your office equipment. A free gift or promotional item may be offered to induce the recipient of the call to provide the information.

Offering the "unbeatable" deal
Armed with information about your office machines, the fraudulent operator is now ready to make his pitch! The targeted business is then called and offered a "sweet deal" on office supplies. Usually, the misrepresentation takes place on the first call, with a second call being placed to confirm the order. This is sometimes done via fax. In addition to the use of high-pressure tactics, typical pitches often include the following:

When the victim receives the order, they find that the price offered is actually many times higher than what they normally pay from their authorized vendor. Often, grossly inflated shipping and handling, or other miscellaneous charges will be included on the invoice.

Use of threats and coercion
Sometimes, victims of office supplies scams will pay the invoice before realizing that they have been scammed. However, if the victim balks at paying, they may receive calls from the scam perpetrator threatening to refer the invoice to a collection agency, or to take legal action. Abusive language and other forms of verbal intimidation may be used.

Once the invoice is paid, it is very difficult, if not impossible to obtain a refund. In some cases, victims may be scammed a second time by receiving a call from a person pretending to be a "recovery specialist", who claims that they can get the victim's money returned in exchange for an up front payment. The "recovery specialist" then takes the victim's money and is never heard of again.

Protecting your business Against Telemarketing Fraud

Take steps to protect your business against telemarketing fraud! The
following actions can be taken to reduce the likelihood of being victimized by fraudulent telemarketing.

Educate your employees with regard to telemarketing fraud via internal memos, posters, and other forms of communication. Your authorized Ricoh Dealer will be able to provide stickers or signs that can be placed on or near your office machines regarding who to contact if service or supplies are required.

Don't allow employees to give out information about office equipment. This is particularly important in the case of secretaries, clerks and temporary employees, who may not be aware that they could be dealing with a fraudulent operator. Your authorized Ricoh dealer already has this information. Have all such calls forwarded to a designated person within your organization, ideally, the one who is responsible for purchasing your office equipment

Do not allow anyone in your organization, except the designated person, to purchase office supplies. Use a written purchase order system.

All telemarketing is not fraudulent. However, you should verify that the person on the other end is actually your authorized source of office supplies, by getting their name and phone number, and then returning the call. Check with your authorized supplier if there is any doubt at all.

If you are the designated person in your company to purchase office supplies, don't be pressured into making a quick decision on the phone. Be wary of special deals that are too good to be true, especially those that offer gifts or prizes. Ask the caller to put his offer in writing.

Know your Rights!

Unordered Supplies
Under federal law, unordered merchandise sent through the mail may be kept as a free gift. If you are not sure if you ordered the goods, send a certified letter, return receipt requested, asking for proof of the order. Once you are certain that you did not order the goods, you are under no obligation to the sender and should let the company know you are keeping the supplies as a free gift.

Fraudulent Misrepresentation
If the goods were mistakenly ordered and they arrive by a private delivery service, like UPS, do not accept the shipment. If the shipment is accepted, write the sender a certified letter, return receipt requested, and revoke your acceptance of the goods. The letter revoking acceptance should be sent as soon as fraud is detected. By giving the sender the opportunity to pick up the merchandise, no valid claim can be made that you accepted an offer of sale by keeping the shipment. When the sender receives your letter revoking acceptance, they will often have the shipping company come in and pick up the goods. Try to obtain a receipt from the shipping company indicating that the goods were picked up from your place of business. It is important not to exercise ownership over any commercial unit of the goods, therefore, keep in mind you have a duty to use reasonable care to hold the goods until the seller can remove them from your premises.

Reporting Telemarketing Fraud
Ricoh works closely with industry trade associations like BTA (Business Technology Association), as well as government agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and State Attorney General Offices to help combat telemarketing fraud.

If you suspect a scam involving office supplies, you should contact your authorized Ricoh Dealer, along with your State Attorney General's office.

If you have been the victim of a fraudulent telemarketing scheme involving office supplies, you can also contact the Business Technology Association. Please access the BTA website for further information http://www.bta.org/

The Federal Trade Commission maintains a useful web site, which addresses telemarketing fraud issues. It also includes a list of contact phone numbers and addresses for State Attorney General Offices, as well as an on-line complaint form The site can be accessed at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/telemarketing/index.html.

Other agencies you can contact include your Regional Chief Postal Inspector, as well as the Better Business Bureau.

Developments vs. Page Counts:

A color print is comprised of four developments. One each for black, cyan, magenta and yellow. The four developments mix to create every color on your printed page. If the manufacturer has set the meter to count pages, allowing you to track your actual page counts, then one printed black page is one black development and one printed color page is 3 color developments plus 1 black development, for a total of 4 developments. We hope this resolves any confusion you may have.