In recent years, many companies have seen an increase in fraudulent activity, most of which is initiated by phone, email or text. Graybar continues to put extensive security measures in place to protect our company and those we serve to avoid becoming victims of fraudulent behavior. However, scams are becoming more sophisticated, and increasingly difficult to detect.

This page is designed to build awareness of common scams that are prevalent in our industry. It also provides helpful information on preventing fraud and reporting fraudulent activity if it occurs.
 

Graybar is committed to the highest standards of business conduct and ethical behavior. We also take your security seriously and will never ask you to provide confidential information by email or through a link to an unsecured website.

• Be suspicious of any email or text message requesting personal, banking, account or financial information, even if it appears to come from a legitimate email address.
• Avoid clicking on links or opening attachments from people you do not know.
• Impersonation schemes are common, so verify before acting on any email claiming to be from one of Graybar’s executives.

If in doubt, please reach out. We are here to help.

• If you have an assigned sales representative, financial manager or contact at Graybar, reach out to them directly with any questions or concerns.
• You can also call your local Graybar office and ask for the branch manager, financial manager or manager of customer service to verify any request you receive from Graybar.

If you receive a suspicious or fraudulent email claiming to be from Graybar, please forward it to abuse@graybar.com for investigation.
 

Customers

Sweepstakes Fraud Alert - Recently, some people received a fraudulent sweepstakes mailing that contained a fake check appearing to be from Graybar. Please be aware that Graybar is not affiliated with any public lottery or sweepstakes and this mailing is a scam.

Sweepstakes scams are common, and cashing a fake check can lead to legal and financial problems. If you suspect that you received a fraudulent mailing:

1. Report it to your local police.
2. Report mail fraud, using one of these methods:
3. 1. 1. Online: Go to the US Postal Inspection Service website at www.uspis.gov and fill out their form.
   2. 1. Phone: Call the US Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
   3. 1. Mail: Call the USPS Office of Inspector General at 1-888-USPS-OIG (1-888-877-7644).
3. Contact Us: If you receive a fake check with Graybar’s name on it, email us at abuse@graybar.com with details.

ACH or Wire Transfer Fraud – This scam involves attempts to change how and where payments are made.  It can be hard to detect because it often involves a hacker who has gained access to the email account of a person responsible for making payments.  The hacker monitors email conversations, looking for a legitimate request for payment.  Once they find this type of email, they will impersonate the person who requested payment.  They will often pressure for a payment to be made quickly, then ask for the payment method to be changed to a wire transfer to a different account number than what is already on file.

How to avoid becoming a victim:

1. Turn on multifactor authentication for all email accounts.
2. Train employees to recognize phishing emails.
3. Don’t click on links in unsolicited emails.
4. Always verify changes to payment information using existing contact information. Reach out to your local Graybar financial manager if you have questions or concerns.
5. Don’t trust information in emails.

Suppliers and Vendors

Procurement Fraud – A common scam involves impersonation of Graybar and Graybar executives in order to fraudulently acquire products.  Scammers contact a vendor via online chat, email or phone, asking for quotes for large quantities of a product.  They will often offer Net 30 terms and submit a credit application that looks real; however, their contact information will not be a Graybar email address or phone number.  While the contact may provide Graybar’s actual billing address, the shipping address may not be a Graybar location.  In some cases, the shipping address will start out as a Graybar location, but the scammer makes a last-minute request to change the address and will often ask for expedited shipping. Usually, the new address is a reshipping business that immediately sends the product to an overseas location.

How to avoid becoming a victim:

1. Be suspicious of requests for quotes from senior executives in the company.
2. Verify contact information provided in emails against those on our website.
3. Verify shipping addresses.
4. Be suspicious of rushed orders, expedited shipping and last-minute changes.

Common Tactics

One thing that both scams have in common is they involve impersonating a Graybar employee or executive. Often this involves a fake email account that looks like Graybar’s email domain, “graybar.com.” A fake account might involve:

• Extra letters (graybars.com, graylbar.com)
• Extra words (graybarelectric.com, graybarinc.com)
• Changed letter locations (garybar.com, grabyar.com)
• Substitution (greybar.com, grapbar.com)
• Combinations (grayloar.com, garybarinc.com)
• Generic email domains (Graybar@mail.com, Graybar@dr.com)

Learn more here:  https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/business-email-compromise

Business Email Compromise

• 3 Facts About BEC Attacks
• Stop Wire Transfer Fraud In It's Tracks
• 5 Tips For Defending Against BEC and EAC Attacks

Phishing

• Phishing 101 Webinar
• How to Avoid Phishing Emails
• Facts About Phishing

Security basics

• Emergency Continuity
• Secure Home WIFI Networks
• WFH Security Essentials
• Working Remotely Safeguards
   

• Contact your IT department or provider to contain any malware
• Contact your bank if financial information may have been compromised
• Contact local authorities
• Contact customers or vendors that may be affected
• Contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) if it is an internet crime
• Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if the scam involved a phone call