Scholastic scam targ

The Better Business Bureau has recently received numerous complaints concerning receipt of a bogus invoice in the amount of $647.50 for a bulk purchase of English-Language Arts Practice Books or Math Practice workbooks. These bogus invoices are being sent to schools and school districts throughout the United States. Complaints are against Scholastic School Supply claiming an address in New Jersey or Nevada. They are not associated with Scholastic, Inc., the largest distributor and publisher of children’s books in the world.

Complainants express difficulty reaching the company to discuss the alleged amount owed, or products purchased, and all complainants deny having had previous interactions with this company to set up initial orders. Additionally, complainants claim the ISBN numbers listed on the invoice are invalid and the books do not exist.

BBB is unaware of any school actually paying the invoice, however, complainants want the company to cease and desist further collection efforts.

Other small business scams to be aware of are directory listings and office supply scams.

Here are some helpful tips to protect companies from this kind of fraud.

Train your staff. Educate them on how various scams work and how to avoid them.

Inspect your invoices. Don’t pay if you are not sure you ordered anything.

Get everything in writing. This should include exactly what you ordered and the cost.

File a complaint. Contact BBB, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), US Postal Service and the Attorney General’s office.

If you have any questions, please contact the Mid-Missouri Better Business Bureau at manager@midmobbb.org or 573-886-8965.