Small business owners have a lot to keep track of as it is. But it’s important to stay on top of things that could potentially have a negative impact on your business. That’s why we’re sharing this cautionary tale, from one small business to another…
At Adams Accounting, we partner with a vendor who manages SEO for us. Recently we received an email forward from this vendor. He had received an email with my head shot, company name and address stating “We are changing our phone number” and listed a toll-free number to contact.
Lucky for us, his work involves keeping our contact information current, or this may not have been brought to our attention! He contacted me directly and separate from the information provided in the email to verify we were changing our number before he published it to our SEO search info. Well, guess what? We have no plans of changing our phone number!
People use these tactics for a variety of reasons, but the important piece to note is they look REALLY authentic. These scams are becoming prevalent in more industries where financial information is shared or large financial transactions take place. These scams could also be used to take your business leads.
As a customer, it’s a good idea to be aware of potential scams with any vendor you work with. The goal of these emails is to send messages that look real but redirect to a separate number or email address. If you ever get a message you question, call the number you know to be good and ask questions. Don’t contact an email link or phone number shared in a message that raises potential red flags for you without talking to someone you know and trust for verification first.
As a small business owner, this is one more thing to keep on your radar. As you’re able, communicate with your vendors, and customers, if appropriate, to protect your business and interests, as well as theirs.
