Printing Industries Of America Warns of Scam Involving Fraudulent Canadian Direct Marketing Agency Targeting Printers

Michael Makin, president and CEO  of Printing Industries of America, delivers a message to association members warning of a major scam involving a fraudulent Canadian direct marketing agency.

Dear Member,

Printing Industries of America has been made aware of a major scam involving a fraudulent direct marketing agency operating out of Montréal and Toronto. The company purports to represent clients marketing weight loss products.

The scam is simple but effective and has claimed a number of victims. The marketing agency contacts printers via their website with a potential windfall job to produce millions of marketing pieces. The marketing agency literally banks on printers offering a line of credit based on initial feedback from credit references, which are similarly fraudulent.

When printers ask for a check to cover postage, it is promptly sent via UPS. The check looks completely official including hologram and printers deposit it thinking all is well, not realizing that any check drawn on a foreign bank account will take two to three weeks to validate and collect funds. This is the scam — some companies will drop the printed pieces and mail them before the check clears leaving the printer to cover the postage and printing costs. Sadly a number of PIA members are now out tens of thousands of dollars because of this scam.

The United States Postal Service and law enforcement officials are investigating the matter in the U.S. and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has been made aware as well.

If you are to be contacted via your website or any other means for work by a foreign marketing agency you are not familiar with, proceed with caution. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is!

Triple check the validity of the enterprise.
Never offer to do work without funds clearing in advance.
Do not accept funds drawn on a foreign account.
Only accept U.S. money orders or wire transfers approved by your bank, ideally into a separate account from your operating account.

If you believe you have been a victim of a similar crime, contact local law enforcement officials immediately.

Printing Industries of America Warns of Scam That is Being Targeted at Printers