Directory group Yellow Pages is warning businesses of a fax scam where illegal pro-forma invoices have been sent out falsely charging businesses for online listings.
The directory said customers should be extremely careful when dealing with the company Yellow-Directory-NEWZEALAND, which is allegedly responsible for the fax.
Charlene White of Yellow Pages said that despite the company technically having a trading different name, "it was very, very similar to the Yellow Pages."
White said Yellow Pages was first alerted of the scam when businesses began checking with their company about the false invoices. She added some of their own staff had family members who had received the fax and passed it onto the Yellow Pages group.
White said they were unaware of any businesses that had been caught out by the scam and recommended the fax be disregarded by anyone who receives it.
People who are contacted by the Yellow-Directory-NEWZEALAND, which lists interests in Hong Kong, United States and the United Kingdom can complain to the Department of Internal Affairs and the Commerce Commission.
The fax scam coincides with Fraud Awareness week and the formation of a cross-agency group designed to identify and publicise scams.
Consumer Affairs Minister Chris Tremain who announced the formation of the group on Monday will chair the committee, which includes the Department of Internal Affairs' anti-spam compliance unit and the Netsafe orgaqnisation.