You’d think TTY scammers would know better than to call Mary Lee at Mountain States Tent & Awning, a BBB Accredited Business in Loveland. She became wise to the scam a couple years back and her story, thanks to the Better Business Bureau, made national headlines.
But just the other day she got yet another call from another relay operator. The call went like this:
Q: Do you make banners?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you have an e-mail where I can send the dimensions and do you take credit cards?
“My answer was to ask the caller where they were calling from and their address before I would give an answer,” Lee said. “Of course they hung up!”
TTY operators are meant to be used by deaf individuals whose typed comments are then read aloud by the operator. The individual’s identity and location is kept confidential. Such anonymity makes TTY an attractive scam vehicle.
TTY scammers prey on all types of businesses. Typically, they order a large amount of goods -- be it golf clubs, paint, carpet and just about anything you can imagine -- to be delivered to another state or even out of the country. They pay by stolen credit card and sometimes request that the goods be sent via a freight company of their choosing. In this instance, they mail a counterfeit check and ask that you pay for shipping out of that and refund the difference. Not only are you out the goods, you’re out the shipping costs and whatever moneys you thought would be covered by the counterfeit check.
Your BBB recommends that businesses take the following steps to protect themselves:
- If the customer is using a TTY Relay Operator, ask for his/her full name, address and telephone number.
- Ask the customer to provide the name of the issuing bank and its toll-free customer service number as printed on the back of all credit cards.
- Ask the customer for the three or four digit Card Verification Code that is found near the account number on the back or front of a credit card.
- Tell the buyer that you will check with the bank and call them back. When you do that, keep good notes. Verify all information the buyer gives. If a buyer objects, explain that these procedures are for their protection as well.
- If the caller still objects to providing any of the above information, abandon the conversation and advise that you are not prepared to do business this way.
- If the buyer insists on paying with a certified check, insist that you will wait until the funds are deposited in your bank account (not simply made accessible), before shipping the merchandise.
Additional tips for businesses and consumers can be found at www.wynco.bbb.org or phone the BBB at 970-484-1348 or 800-564-0371.
Start With Trust. For more reliable small business advice, and to report a scam that has targeted your company, go to wynco.bbb.org or call 970-484-1348 or 800-564-0371.