The Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force has received many calls in the last several days from high technology businesses with complaints of what seems to be the latest twist to an old scam.   

The commonplace theme of Nigerian letters, e-mails and faxes designed to defraud people and businesses has seen a new variation.  These fraudsters are contacting e-commerce businesses that have a website and ship product based upon telephone/internet orders.   They are hiding behind deaf phone services to place the orders using stolen credit cards or fraudulent checks. 

The telephone order is routed through a TTY (Text Telephone Yoke) Relay Operator which is designed to convince the victim (business) that the caller is deaf or hearing impaired.   The fraudster hopes to gain immediate sympathy, distance themselves from one-on-one contact, and lower suspicions.  Using a TTY Operator also exploits the confidential nature of the conversations as they can not be disclosed to anyone.

Red Flags:

Orders for multiple quantities of high-end products

Overseas shipping destinations

Fraudster may have paid a middleman with a U.S. address to lower suspicions

May request an e-mail address for communication

Payment is a check from another company

Order is for “someone else”