Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning businesses to be on the lookout for invoices from a company called AYPR Inc. which claims to be based in Duluth, Minnesota.

Those who have complained state that the company is billing for services they did not order or authorize. The company has an F rating due to questionable business practices and a pattern of complaints.

AYPR Inc. claims to publish business directories and attempts to charge companies for being listed or featured in those directories. However, in many schemes of this nature, businesses are tricked into paying for services for which they weren’t interested or were not aware they would be charged. Often times the invoice provides the name of an actual employee (either present or former) who “authorized” the charges. In many cases, the employee is not in a position to authorize purchases.

In addition to the Duluth address, which is actually a mail shipping and services store according the BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota, AYPR claims to have addresses in: Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Utah & Wisconsin.

Here’s how directory schemes often work. An employee is contacted usually by fax and asked to fill out a few vague questions to confirm basic company information. What the employee doesn’t realize is that by simply providing this information, they open the door to future billings. The faxes contain fine print stating that by signing and returning the form, the business is agreeing to be charged and listed in the directory, which may or may not even exist. The business is often invoiced for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

These scammers sometimes pretend to be verifying or renewing a company’s “existing” directory listing. They send urgent invoices, create confusion and count on an organization paying to avoid being hounded. When companies refuse to pay, the scammers use high-pressure tactics such as bullying, threatening collection or legal action.

BBB and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have the following tips to avoid being the victim of a scam:

• Designate only certain employees to make company purchases.
• Train your staff to direct calls to only employees authorized to order supplies and services.
• Check all documentation before you pay bills. Make sure you intentionally purchased the items for which you have been billed.
• Know your rights. If you receive supplies or invoices for services you didn’t order, don’t pay. It’s illegal for a seller to invoice you, send threatening notices for merchandise you didn’t order or ask you to return the merchandise.
• Report fraud. Report this type of scam to the BBB, the FTC, the Postal Inspection Service and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.

With baseball season now in full swing, be sure your tickets are the real deal. Buying on the secondary market can be useful for non-season ticket holders, occasional fans, or those making a last-minute decision to head to the ball park. But how do you know if the tickets are real?

BBB asked the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB), a group whose members offer a 200% guarantee on tickets that don’t arrive in time for a game, concert or show. NATB says buying from one of their authorized ticket brokers is the safest way to purchase resale tickets for Major League Baseball.

BBB of Southern Arizona and NATB offer the following tips for safe ticket purchasing:

1. Check out the seller/broker. Look them up on bbb.org and check to see if they are a member of the NATB.
2. Know the difference between a ticket broker (legitimate and accredited reseller) and a ticket scalper (unregulated and unlicensed ticket seller).
3. Check the ticket broker’s refund policy. Only buy from a ticket reseller that provides clear details about the terms of the transaction.
4. Always use a credit card so you have some recourse; never use cash.
5. Always ask for section, row and seat number to avoid obstructed view seats or seats that do not exist.

Also, feel free to ask questions to make certain you get all the answers you need to feel comfortable with your ticket purchase.

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona warns consumers to be extremely careful when considering the purchase of prescription medication from online pharmacies.

While there are some reputable Internet pharmacies, there are many imposters and sites that sell medication of questionable quality.

The Internet is teeming with offers for prescription medication at discounts from 10 to 20 percent.  Aside from fake pharmacy websites that may put unauthorized charges on a consumer’s credit card, some of these sources sell brand name prescription drugs that are from outside the country, counterfeit, pharmacologically-inactive or the wrong dosage.

Unlike medication manufactured in the United States, prescription medicines from other countries are not subject to the same scrutiny, nor provide the same assurance of safety and efficacy, source and purity as manufacturers that are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

There is a significant risk associated with online pharmacies, according to an FDA study, which found that 85 percent of medication supposedly shipped from Canadian online pharmacies, actually came from manufacturers in two dozen different countries.  Many of the products intercepted were counterfeit.

Patients with serious medical conditions may end up with worthless, adulterated or substitute medications, which could translate into a trip to the emergency room or worse.

BBB recommends consumers watch out for several red flags before buying prescription medication from an online pharmacy:

No prescription required – No legitimate pharmacy will fill an order without a prescription.  No medication should be taken without the patient first being examined by an MD.

Drugs not approved by the FDA – These can include “experimental” medications, which are either counterfeit or have potentially lethal side effects because they did not go through clinical trials.

Offers for prescription medicine offered in SPAM email – Consumers should be proactive and choose goods and services suppliers rather than respond to unsolicited email offers.  These often lead to scam sites which may download malware onto your computer or put unauthorized charges on your credit card.

Sites that do not provide contact U.S. contact information – It is essential to verify contact information in case of a problem or emergency.

Before purchasing medication from an online source, check the company’s name or web address at www.legitscript.com, which is a verification service operated by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

To check out a business, selected a BBB Accredited Business, file a complaint or find additional consumer tips, visit bbb.org.