Heather White from National Imaging Systems called our accounts payable department in June inquiring about a past due invoice in the amount of $299.99 for a toner cartridge that she claimed one of our employees had ordered. Because we are a federal government hospital with more than 1800 employees, we asked for back-up documentation from the vendor regarding the purchase.
Ms. White faxed us a copy of the past due invoice and a copy of the UPS delivery notification which was signed by another employee who works at the loading dock. We contacted the employee who was listed on the invoice and he had no recollection of authorizing this vendor to send an ink cartridge, nor did he have any recollection of receiving the package.
I called Ms. White back and asked for more information. She told me that her supervisor would fax phone transcripts.
One week later, after not receiving the transcripts that I had requested, I called Ms. White back and was transferred to her supervisor. The supervisor explained that they call companies and offer to send free ink cartridges, and that the company is billed if the ink cartridges are not returned within 60 days. She refused to provide phone transcripts to substantiate her claim that our employee authorized her company to send the product; she told me that those were internal documents which could not be provided to customers. She was rude and argumentative, and she insisted that our company owed this money. She also accused me of being unprofessional.
I believe that this company targets individuals and, once they have the name of an individual that works for your organization, they start sending products without authorization.
There are many other organizations who have reported a similar scam from this company.
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