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.

Whether you have coverage under a comprehensive policy or fend for yourself, whether you’re covered under Medicaid or Medicare, whether you’re healthy or sick, paying for medications crosses everyone’s path sooner or later.  No matter how we might feel about the future of health insurance, the truth is that prescription medications – particularly name brand meds with no generic counterpart – are expensive, and for those taking multiple prescriptions over months or years, the costs of those medications can be significant, Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona warns.

An alternative to your local pharmacy?  Online suppliers.  Dozens of websites – some American, many not– sprang into life over the past 15 years or so promising to lower the overall costs of filling prescriptions.  Besides the cost, these sites offer to deliver medicines direct to your door, which can be attractive to shut-ins or those who find traveling difficult for any reason.  There’s an anonymity that goes along with dealing with online pharmacies; embarrassing questions about certain medications can be answered by disembodied pharmacists without the need for pink cheeks.  For all the advertised advantages, and even years down the road from their humble beginnings, a lot of questions remain about the wisdom of dealing with cyber-drug stores, and you should ask pointed questions before you place your order.

1.  Where is the physical location of the pharmacy?  Whether an online supplier is located in Canada or China, the exact location of the pharmacy matters.  If you’re looking at a site outside of the U. S., the usual FDA requirements on the manufacture of the drugs don’t apply.  While the basic formula will be the same, the quality controls of the factory may not.  Even some incidental chemicals used in the process may be substituted for others.  Whether or not those substitutions will have any effect on the finished product is anyone’s guess.
2. What are the chances harmful drug interactions?  Your prescriptions should be coming from your regular doctor.  Some online sites offer consultations with online pharmacists (and sometimes even doctors) who may offer to make changes to your order.  You should always get the approval of your physician before taking new or different drugs, and some of the same aspects that make dealing with an online pharmacist attractive may be dangerous.  Can you really trust  that anyone online is exactly who they say they are?
3. Is the pharmacy asking too many questions?  We’d certainly expect a degree of security when dealing with an online pharmacy, especially when ordering controlled substances, and no one would deny a seller the necessary identity confirmation to make sure the patient, doctor and prescription are valid.  How much info is too much?  In an environment where we’d expect to need to prove who we are, we want to be sure not to give away information that could result in our bank accounts being hacked or our identities being stolen or replicated – and, since we’re often talking about foreign operators, the risk is magnified.  The data on your driver’s license should be enough to satisfy most online sellers.  Where payment is concerned, look for sites that accept PayPal or another secured online payment service that does not give the seller access to your account data.
4. What security protects your account data?  Obviously, the pharmacy expects to be paid.  What security is in place for your credit card info?  Does the site allow you to pay through a double-blind service like PayPal?  Reputable vendors have strong security in place for websites, and they aren’t shy about promoting which security software they use to protect customers.  Make sure that these programs are valid and that the user certificates are up to date for the pharmacy you’re using before you place an order.
5. Can you test the water?  Before you place a full order with the pharmacy, check to see if it’s possible to place a smaller order first as a test.  That way, you can judge the delivery time and dependability of the site without investing a lot of money or entire list of meds.
6. What does the site’s BBB record look like?  Unfortunately, Better Business Bureaus don’t review websites outside of the United States and Canada and these pharmacies may include operations well outside those boundaries.  If you can’t find a report at www.bbb.org, search for the site by name and look for consumer complaints or other posts.  While there’s still a chance that shills would pump up a website’s reputation, displeased customers are notoriously vocal online.

The majority of adults in the U.S.—65 percent—have not reviewed their credit reports within the last 12 months, according to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. During Financial Literacy Month in April, Better Business Bureau reminds consumers to keep track of their credit reports to help prevent identity theft.

Using victims’ sensitive information, identity thieves apply for new credit cards and loans or open financial accounts, Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona warns.

“Fraud victims often don’t realize that their identities have been stolen until they are unexpectedly turned down for credit or contacted by collections agencies,” says Kim States, BBB President. “Use credit reports to detect unauthorized accounts.”

Credit Reports: Check free reports yearly at AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

Disputes: To contest fraud or errors, contact the credit reporting agencies Equifax, Experian or TransUnion directly. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also accepts complaints.

Prevention: Reduce identity theft risks by securing sensitive paperwork and shredding unneeded financial documents, receipts and junk mail.

For more tips, visit www.tucson.bbb.org.