Unwary printers have been paying invoices to an outfit called The Melarnie Group, but they are being scammed. The Melarnie Group uses an old tactic of providing the unwary printer with some ink toner and a gift voucher, then sending in an invoice knowing that in many cases the invoice is just paid as it is one of many. However the toner was never ordered, and in any case is useless. The invoices are usually for between $200 and $500, designed to not raise any eyebrows. When one printer in Alexandria who had received an invoice tried to contact The Melarnie Group they refused to give any contact details. The NT Consumer Affairs department has been warning Territorians about Melarnie for some time, however now it seems they have moved to other parts of the country.

This from the Northern Territory Consumer Affairs Facebook page. NT Consumer Affairs is again warning businesses to be vigilant when paying their accounts after current reports of a false billing scam. Seemingly genuine invoices from The Melarnie Group Pty Ltd, in this case for printer toner cartridges, are being received by local businesses. However the company details, trading record and the almost convincing story-line attempted by the sender do not add up. This supposedly large scale distributor does not have a website and the invoice was sent from a generic email address. Such scammers rely on busy traders paying them without close scrutiny of accounts. Be wary of unfamiliar invoices that have been faxed or e-mailed at unusual times or that arrive without prior communication. Take a moment to properly check the details with other staff to see whether goods or services have been ordered and received before processing payments. If you have concern about an invoice, don’t hesitate to check with the sender and ask for verification about the products or services ordered. Remember once you pay these scammers they have your details and you have lost your money! SCAMwatch has issued a warning on a scam that targets businesses via email and asks them to redirect payment. Don’t be caught out, be vigilant. More information can found in this link: http://tinyurl.com/jwt2b27

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