How To Spot A Deceptive Invoice Solicitation

Have you ever checked your mailbox or email and noticed an invoice from a company you were not 100% sure handles your corporate services or provides goods?

If yes, it’s important to look into the company before you address any request for fee of services. There are numerous businesses soliciting unnecessary services and you need to beware of deceptive solicitation invoices.

One deceptive invoice you may have come across is DNS Services at dnssvc.com.

The company named DNS Services has been sending out articles that come across as invoices to clients with the amount of a $65 annual fee for ‘ Managed DNS Backup Business Services’.

At first glance, you may believe it’s an authentic invoice but it is not an invoice at all.

It’s an offer to sign up for DNS backup services. The DNS Services Company has been able to keep up this marketing because the disclaimer on the document uses solicitation language in the middle of the article that resembles an invoice.

The disclaimer says that DNS Services is a solicitation for you to order goods, services, or both. The article also mentions that the solicitation is not a bill, invoice or statement of account due. Last but not least, the article states you have no obligation to make any payments unless you accept the offer.

To prevent your company from being a victim of deceptive invoices, always discard the mailers or emails sent from DNS Services or other company solicitations.

Don’t risk your staff sending payments to DNS Services for a service you never had. Inform your company’s administrative staff to read all invoices in full prior to sending out payments to any unfamiliar source.

There should also be a log kept of external service providers.

Here are some ways you can spot an invoice solicitation:

You are receiving a bill for a good or service you haven’t formally purchased or being offered a service that’s tremendously succeeds the market value.
A directory list is made with renewal printed on an invoice. The document is often of poor quality and the directory circulation is very limited.
Your company is listed on the bill as a very important client on a publication such as a college alumni newsletter or executive listing. It often will say the listing is free if you sign and return the invoice as a notification. The document is actually making you agree to buy a high price directory.
Domain renewals can also be invoice solicitations.Often this form of solicitation displays prices that are always inflated for a lengthy period of time. The only legitimate domain renewal notice you will receive is the one from the company you purchased your domain name from.
Invoices from unaccountable office supply orders. Usually the scammers give your business a call to identify office supply decision makers prior to sending out the invoice solicitation. To avoid this scam, your company should issue purchase order numbers for every purchase and check all invoices against the original order.

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Sources: http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/2012/11/26/fraudulent-invoices-from-dns-services/
http://www.mywot.com/en/forum/29012-dnssvc-com-scam
http://www.scambusters.org/invoicescams.html