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News April 29, 2024

Distributor Warns of Scammer Posing as HVAC Company Buyer

The crook was crafty, but Tom Broadbent discovered that the request for logoed items was bogus.

By  Christopher Ruvo

Tom Broadbent has developed a knack for spotting scammers.

The business development pro at Ohio-based Hopkins Printing sniffed out a schemer who tried to swindle him out of products earlier this year. Now, he’s picked up on another con artist’s approach and is speaking out to warn fellow promotional products professionals.

The latest attempted crookery followed a pattern of scam attempts that have been on the rise in promo in recent years. They involve scammers posing as actual buyers for universities, businesses, nonprofits and other organizations.

The aim is to trick the merch pros into providing what often amounts to five or six figures’ worth of products for which the crooks will never pay.

In the latest incident, the scammer fronted as Jared Eck, a professional with Comfort Flow HVAC in Oregon. Eck is a real person who works for that firm, but it wasn’t the real Eck contacting Broadbent. Neither Eck nor Comfort Flow had anything to do with the skullduggery; they’re essentially identity theft victims.

Still, spotting that took a bit of savviness from Broadbent. Unlike other more obvious con approaches, this one had a stronger degree of validity.

For one thing, the tone, language/grammar and depth of detail in the email request from the criminal was convincing, giving the veneer of being a legitimate request. The ask was for 80 custom retractable smooth vinyl banners, 33 inches x 81 inches, being single-sided, full-color and water-resistant.

“We would like the banners to be printed with our company logo, contact information and a brief promotional message,” the emailer wrote to Broadbent. “We are open to exploring different design options and would appreciate any recommendations you may have. We are hoping to use these banners for trade shows, events and other marketing initiatives. … We are looking for quality partners that prioritize customer satisfaction and quick turnover time.”

While the potential sale was attractive, Broadbent has been around the block; he was able to identify several issues that suggested the request may not be legitimate.

“First clue was the area code for the ‘buyer’ was in Florida and the company is located in Oregon,” Broadbent shared. “After calling the number, it went directly to voicemail.”

Next, the email address was spoofed to closely resemble that of a real Comfort Flow address but contained one extra “T” – Jared@comforttflow.com. Broadbent noticed and was now suspicious, but decided to play along a bit. He replied with a price quote. “At first glance, the email address looked like a typo, but the email containing my quote did not come back as undeliverable, so it was active and they appeared to be mimicking a real address,” Broadbent said.

As part of his investigation, Broadbent made an especially smart step: He called Eck/Comfort Flow to see if there was any chance the supposed order was real. The receptionist seemed to be familiar with the scam, he said, as she asked Broadbent if there were two “T’s” in the email address. That was the final confirmation Broadbent needed to know the order was bogus. “I wonder how many people produced product then tried to speak with the ‘buyer’?” reflected Broadbent.

As it happened, the fake buyer responded to Broadbent’s quote saying that they wanted to proceed with an order. The request was to pay via wire transfers. “We’re excited to collaborate with you on this project,” the scammer wrote.

Yeah, right, thought Broadbent.

“I sent back an email thanking them for the order and asking for a shipping address so I can calculate the freight,” he shared. “I told them we would accept payment via check, which would then make it a federal offense if a fraudulent check were mailed. I doubt I will hear back from them at this point.”

While Broadbent’s diligence prevented a loss for his company, other promo pros have been victimized, sometimes sustaining six-figure losses. Even seasoned professionals with decades of experience say variations of this scam have been so tricky that they were nearly taken in.

“It’s important to stay on your toes,” said Broadbent, “and to share with your colleagues that these scams are out there.”