BBB Warning Schools About Fake Invoice Scam
By Jim Donovan: The Better Business Bureau is warning schools and school districts across the country about possible fake invoices for educational supplies. The scam involves a bogus company named Scholastic School Supply mailing phony invoices to school districts in the hope of receiving payments without rendering goods or services.
To date, the BBB has received complaints from schools in 27 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
The bogus invoices have been for $647.50 for the bulk purchase of "English-Language Arts Practice Books" or $388.50 for math workbooks (although the amounts and products could change at any time). Complainants say they cannot reach the company to inquire about the products or amounts allegedly owed, and all have denied ever doing business with the company previously.
The company's online BBB Business Review has received more than 3,000 inquiries; there is an alert posted there so that visitors are able to confirm the suspicious nature of the invoice.
You can see the report here: http://www.bbb.org/southern-nevada/business-reviews/school-supplies/scholastic-school-supply-in-las-vegas-nv-90031039
Scholastic School Supply maintains a mail drop in Sewell, N.J., as well as in Las Vegas. Contact information available on the invoices was initially just going unanswered, but now email is bouncing and the phone number has been disconnected.
The BBB urges schools not to pay the invoices but to send them to the local Postal Inspector and the Federal Trade Commission, as well as their state's attorney general or consumer protection agency.
This company has no affiliation with Scholastic Inc, a well known publisher of children's books.
