Attorney general issues alert on fake invoices

New York’s attorney general is warning businesses and state agencies to watch out for a scam involving unsolicited invoices for telecommunications services.

Mailings that appear to be bills for telecommunications maintenance have been arriving across the state, according to a news release from Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office. The mailings come from a California–based company called UST and appear to request $425 for Telecom Maintenance Agreements.

However, invoice recipients never did business with the firm, according to the attorney general’s office, which has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the company.

“This solicitation is deceptive and has the capacity to mislead the recipients of this invoice, potentially resulting in payments to UST for services that were neither ordered nor received,” the letter said. “UST’s conduct violates New York State General Business Law [section] 349, which prohibits deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any business, trade, or commerce or in the furnishing of any service in New York state.”

Several state agencies have received the invoices, including the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of Transportation, and the Office of General Services. In addition, several school districts across the state and the Auburn Police Department received invoices.

A copy of an invoice is available at http://www.ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/press-releases/2012/UST-Invoices.pdf.

Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com