An office supply scam is a fraudulent scheme where scammers trick businesses into paying for office supplies, such as paper, ink, or toner, that they never ordered or received. Typically, scammers pose as legitimate suppliers and send fake invoices for office products, hoping that a busy office will pay the invoice without realizing the order was never made. These scams may also involve sending unordered supplies to the business, followed by an inflated invoice demanding payment.
Office supply scams often target small or mid-sized businesses that may lack strict internal controls for verifying purchases. Scammers rely on confusion or a lack of communication between different departments, such as purchasing and accounting, to get their fraudulent invoices processed.
Falling victim to an office supply scam can result in unnecessary costs, wasted time, and potential disruption to office operations. To avoid these scams, businesses should establish clear procurement procedures, verify all invoices with purchase orders, and train staff to recognize potential scams.