School Supply Scam Hitting Districts This Fall – WA Attorney General and BBB Get Involved

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has teamed up with Better Business Bureau officials to issue a warning to school districts in Washington state and around the Pacific Northwest.

A new scam has been hitting schools, targeting supply systems.    According to information released Tuesday by the WA AG's office:

 "School employees have reported receiving official-looking invoices from a fake company called Scholastic School Supply for some books, often math workbooks, they did not order and have not received.

  The name is similar to the publisher Scholastic, which specializes in educational materials. Scammers often use names that are similar to well-known businesses to make their scams seem legitimate.

All the phony invoices appear to be for the same amount – $647.50 – and contain realistic but fake identification information for the company and the books themselves. Trying to call the listed contact phone leads to a circuit of voicemails explaining it will be some time before anyone can return a phone call because of the busy time of year. Consumers say messages to the email address are not returned."

   The Better Business Bureau in Nevada has received 51 complaints so far,  the most in the U.S., but the Granite Falls, WA School district has also had scam attempts sent their way.

 School districts are being urged to contact the Federal Trade Commission, and the BBB.