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NC Department of Justice Alerts of Scam: Online Public Yellow Pages Targeting N.C. Businesses and Churches

From the N.C. Department of Justice: 

Nov. 14, 2012. We warned you earlier this year about scammers sending out fake invoices, hoping that you’ll simply pay the bogus bills. A new and particularly aggressive invoice scam has spurred close to two dozen complaints from North Carolina businesses, churches and schools.

According to those complaints, the scam starts with a high-pressure sales call from Online Public Yellow Pages that includes a lot of yes or no questions. The employee answering the call is told they must answer the questions, even if the employee isn’t authorized to make purchases.

A few months later, the business receives an invoice from Online Public Yellow Pages, for $599.99 plus late fees and penalties of more than $600. Businesses that protest the charges report that the company plays back a recording of the initial sales call, spliced to make it seem like the employee authorized the charges. They’re also threatened that the charges will be sent to a debt collector.

Online Public Yellow Pages is not related to The Real Yellow Pages. When our office contacts Online Public Yellow Pages on behalf of a business or consumer, the company cancels the charges.

Warn your employees, your church, and your child’s school about these aggressive calls.

If you get one, hang up. Do not attempt to answer the caller’s questions. 

If you get an invoice from Online Public Yellow Pages, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or filing a complaint online at www.ncdoj.gov.