Fraudulent orders and scams have long been a factor in the promotional products industry. A supplier has reported a new wrinkle on these transactions and has shared its experience with the industry so that peers can be vigilant.
Typically, these order scams pertain to USBs and simple electronics, but this company received three large orders for blank and imprinted umbrellas and ponchos from three different, reputable distributors in one week’s time. The orders seemed suspicious as they were to be shipped to random warehouses rather than end-users. The company investigated, and all three distributors were found to be victims of fraud. The scammers were using the distributors’ names, identifying information and other details. The only difference was an omitted or extra letter in the email addresses.
The company also contacted the warehouses, where employees were unaware of the fraud. The scammers had used stolen DHL accounts to ship products as well. There may be an uptick in such activity, as the warehouse supervisors reported receiving pallets of watches, clothing and other products transported with the DHL accounts.
