The “Too Good to Be True” Print Order Scam

Ah yes, the scam that refuses to die. Like glitter after a kids’ party, it just keeps showing up where you least want it. Printers have been dealing with it forever, but now it’s spread like a bad rash across builders, tech suppliers, manufacturers, and even poor Aunt Joan just trying to unload her floral sofa on Craigslist.

So, grab a snack, sip your coffee, and let’s dissect this greasy little scam step by step.

Step One: The Sweet Hello
An email lands in your inbox. Someone wants a quote. They sound polite. They even spell your name correctly. 

Step Two: The Artistic Disaster
They send you artwork. Except it looks like it was designed by a pigeon with Photoshop. Sometimes it’s AI-generated, sometimes it’s just… sad. But hey, you’re a professional, so you keep the convo going.

Step Three: The Instant Gratification
You send them a quote. They accept faster than a toddler grabbing free candy. Honestly, you could type, “Your total is seventeen bananas and a ferret,” and they’d still reply with, “Perfect, let’s move forward.”

Step Four: The Trust Fall
They shower you with names, phone numbers, addresses, maybe even credit card details. It feels so legit you can almost hear the soft background music of trust playing. Spoiler alert: it’s not.

Step Five: The Shipping Soap Opera
Here comes the twist. They don’t just want printing. No no, their order must go through their “trusted shipping company.” And wouldn’t you know it? That company only takes advance payments in giant piles of cash, preferably wired straight into the void.

Step Six: The Masterpiece of Scamdom
They pay you with a credit card or real check. Well, “real” as in it came from a poor company whose accountant is currently crying into their calculator. They give you extra to cover shipping. You kindly forward the funds to their “trusted shipper,” who—plot twist—is just them with a fake mustache and another Gmail account.

Step Seven: The Facepalm Finale
The check bounces. The credit card chargeback hits. Your bank fees multiply like rabbits. And you? You’re stuck with a stack of prints destined for nobody. Congratulations—you’ve just financed a scammer’s weekend getaway while earning yourself an expensive souvenir.

How to Not Become a Cautionary Tale

If anyone ever asks you to pay their shipper for them, especially with a wire transfer, run faster than a raccoon escaping a trash can lid. If they’re rushing you harder than a caffeinated squirrel, slow it all the way down. Always wait for payments to clear, always verify, and tattoo this rule on your forehead if necessary:

If it sounds too good to be true, it’s not a deal. It’s a trap.

So, share this with your fellow business owners before another hard-earned wallet gets sacrificed on the altar of scams.