A toner pirate is a telemarketing scam.
This scam usually has 2 parts.
Part 1: Reconnaissance
Someone who claims to be your printer dealer or a substitute contacts you and asks questions like the make and model of your printer. They may contact the office directly or call you by finding your number through social media websites. They’ll look for the phone numbers of business owners, company managers, or anyone else they can get in contact with.
Part 2: Scare Sale
Now when they contact you, they are looking to sell you toner.
They will try and scare you into buying toner by saying the price of toner is going up and that you should buy now to lock in the price. Toner pirates will charge you crazy prices for toner, up to 10 times the price of regular toner. The toner may also be fake and incompatible with your machine. Many brands will place computer chips on the toner tank that your copier will read and authenticate. If the toner can’t pass the authentication test, then your machine won’t be able to use the toner.
Keep in Mind!
If you ever feel as if you are speaking with a toner pirate, it’s important to keep in mind a few things such as. They won’t give you their name, cost of the toner, or business address.
If you’re still on the fence of whether or not you have been contacted by a toner pirate, hang up the phone and contact your own supplier to see if they have reached you.
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