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Since May of 2011, the Washington State Attorney General's Office has received well over 250 complaints against scammers with the word "yellow page" and other variations of the word in their names.
The scam normally goes like this: A business will receive a phone call or a written solicitation along the lines of "You had a free listing, would you like to renew it?" However, there is actually nothing to renew.
Most often there is a directory listing produced online or in print. But these directories don't use focus marketing, so many agree they don't provide much benefit.
Most of the businesses that succumb to this scam are small businesses like dry cleaners and auto body shops.
The Washington State Attorney General's Office offers these recommendations:
- Carefully review solicitations received by mail and FAX to know what you are agreeing to.
- Visit the Better Business Bureau's website to check a business's rating at www.bbb.org
And if you have been a victim of this scam, contact the Washington State Attorney General's Office to file a complaint at www.atg.wa.gov/FileAComplaint.aspx.