Owning a business is the ideal example of the American dream for many residents of Houston, TX. It takes a lot of patience and hard work to create a successful business so the last thing you need is a nefarious party to defraud you out of your money or goods.
Scammers that perpetrate fraud against business owners have become quite creative in recent years. This makes it harder for business owners and their employees to spot possible scams. With guidance from an experienced lawyer, businesses that have suffered considerable losses to fraud can seek a legal remedy for their hardships.
Below are examples of three common frauds targeting businesses in the state of Texas and elsewhere.
- Directory scams: You want everyone to know about the goods or services you offer, right? Unfortunately, this means you could fall victim to schemes in which someone offers to add your business to a false directory in exchange for a fee.
- Office supply scams: This can happen when a person poses as your regular supplier and gets you to purchase overpriced or even nonexistent office supplies.
- Award scams: Scammers often contact business owners with news that they want to feature the business in a “prestigious” publication. If there are expenses you must pay for this so-called honor, it could be a fraud.
- Utility scams: This form of fraud flourishes because business owners often panic when they think that their utilities are about to be disconnected due to nonpayment. In most cases, the business owner or office worker pays the nonexistent bill immediately over the telephone.
Falling victim to fraud endangers the success and prosperity of your business. Fighting back by using the law is one of the best ways to handle your situation and possibly help other businesses avoid a similar fate.