Internet print scam comes out of Africa

A Victorian print company last week highlighted an internet scam targeting the printing industry involving an organisation calling itself the New Hope Presbyterian Church and Orphanage in GHANA.

Initially the printing company, a member of Printing Industries, received the job request via e-mail to print 70,000 copies of an A4 brochure on 80 GSM stock. When the quotation was accepted, the printer received electronic artwork and a request that an advance payment of $3220 for freight needed to be made to a courier company in Accra Ghana via a Western Union Money Transfer.

A local billing address was provided for a Rev Oliver Smith at 107 Green Street, Richmond Victoria. On investigation this turned out to be an automotive repair company who had never heard of the Rev Smith. Three fake Master Card accounts all with the same expiry date of December 2009 were also provided making the order look almost legitimate.

The checks applied to new accounts by the company saved it from incurring unnecessary expense and a possible loss of funds. The matter has been referred to Consumer Affairs Victoria for investigation. Anyone coming across any similar circumstance, please let us know.