Ottawa businesses targeted by Direct Pages 411 mail scam

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawa-businesses-targeted-by-direct-pages-411-mail-scam

KRISTIN KELLY
More from Kristin Kelly
Published on: December 23, 2016 | Last Updated: December 23, 2016 3:12 PM EST

If you’re a small business owner in Ottawa, be careful going through your mail.

Just in time for the holidays, some city businesses have been receiving scam letters from a company called Direct Pages 411, claiming that the businesses owe money.

Recipients are asked to send a payment to a Montreal postal code.

Mike Wood, owner of Ottawa Special Events, said he received a letter on Wednesday from Direct Pages 411, warning him about an overdue invoice payment on a company profile.

The letter demanded payment of more than $830 to a PO box in Montreal.

Wood said he was immediately suspicious, firstly because the letter had no phone number to contact the company.


He said a similar letter was also sent to his other business, Party Rentals Ottawa, and he later found out party rental company Fiesta Ottawa, owned by a friend, received the same letter that day.

“I know exactly what this is. It’s a scam,” he recalled thinking.

Wood said he Googled the company’s name, and found that Direct Pages 411 was one of several companies named as scam operations.

Wood said it’s not the first time he’s gotten a letter like this.

He said two years ago, he received a similar invoice. He called the business that sent him the letter and told the man who answered he hadn’t ordered anything from the company. He said the man insisted he had bought from them, and threatened to hurt him.

“I’m always on the lookout for scams now,” he said.

He advised other business owners to hire accountants who keep good records, so everything is in order.

Most importantly, Wood said to trust your instincts.

“Use your gut feeling,” he advised. “If it just doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.”

The Ottawa police fraud unit would not say whether it was investigating Direct Pages 411, but noted: “We have seen large dollar losses to these scams. As such, business owners need to do their due diligence, and should know what money is coming in and going out.”

“Make sure that the invoices that you receive match the items that you purchased.  Many businesses get scammed because the invoices go to an accounts payable department and the people there just assume that the bills need to be paid. 

If in doubt, check any surprise invoices on sites such as the Yellow Pages.