Yellow Pages/411CanPages

How the scam works:

Using the Yellow Pages’ logo and a fake registration form, scammers are trying to sell fake ads in the trusted publication.

First, they approach all the businesses by phone, and whoever might be interested will receive a follow-up email with the form and some great deals. The crooks take the client’s information, the credit card number, and vanish.

In a different variation of the scam, you might receive an actual letter in the mail with an advertising invoice for your company inside. The name scammers use is 411CanPages. The invoice features a random cost of $847.49, QST and HST numbers, an invoice number, the name of sales representative John Baxter, a P.O. Box address in Quebec, a fine-print warning about interest.

How to avoid:

The real Yellow Pages agents will give you a good understanding of the system, layout, prices, etc. Be very careful of the scammer’s approach. If in doubt, call the real Yellow Pages main desk and ask for the names that the scammers give you. On the other hand, there is no company such as 411CanPages. Canada 411 and Canpages are two separate search-directory websites owned by Yellow Pages Group.