Supplier Alert: Fraudulent Purchase Order Scam
Be vigilant on receipt of order inquiries on behalf of United Foods International (USA), Inc.
This message is for the attention of existing and potential suppliers to United Foods International (USA), Inc.
We want to alert you to a fraud scam that is targeting existing and potential suppliers of goods to businesses in the U.S. Please take the necessary precautions so that you are not a victim of this scam.
While UFI cannot prevent this fraudulent activity, we are supplying the authorities with details to investigate the matter as we become aware of specific instances.
The fraud scam involves purchase orders and requests for product quotations that purport to originate from UFI but are in fact fraudulent.
The scam operates in the following way: the supplier will receive an email with a Purchase Order that bears resemblance to an authentic UFI purchase order. The purchase order may instruct will call or delivery to an address not affiliated with UFI. After pickup/delivery of the item(s), the supplier never receives payment and is unable to retrieve the shipped products.
Indicators of a fraud:
- Incorrect domain name used to send emails and purchase orders. A valid email address will always end in @ufiusa.com. An example of an incorrect domain being used by scammers is @ufiusa-inc.com but other domains may be used.
- The delivery address is not a UFI address.
- Use of a false or unknown contact from UFI.
- Phone numbers not associated with Stantec.
- Unusually large quantities are requested.
- Rush to ship priority/overnight or rushed pickup.
What to do if you suspect fraudulent activity:
Email businessinfo@ufiusa.com to verify the validity of the request (please ensure you include any emails and documents you have received that relate to the enquiry).
A member of UFI’s team will respond to your email as soon as possible to confirm the validity of the request and will provide advice on the action to take if the request is found to be fraudulent, including reporting the incident to the authorities as an attempted fraud against your organization.
Email businessinfo@ufiusa.com to verify validity of requests