Warning Signs of Fraudulent Purchases for Interiorscape Companies

No business is immune to scams, and interiorscape companies are no exception. While scammers continue to change their tactics, they often rely on urgency, excitement, or unusual payment requests to convince you to ignore your normal business practices. Over the years, I’ve encountered several fraudulent purchase attempts that taught me valuable lessons about protecting my business. Here are a few of those experiences and the warning signs they revealed.

Fraud Attempts I’ve Encountered

More than two decades ago, while working in the sales department for a large commercial greenhouse, I encountered my first fraudulent purchase attempt. It began with a phone call for several thousand dollars’ worth of dish gardens. Like most salespeople, I was excited about such a large order. As the conversation continued, however, the request became increasingly unusual. The customer wanted the order shipped overseas but expected the greenhouse to pay the freight charges upfront. He promised to send a check covering both the merchandise and shipping costs. Looking back, the payment arrangement should have been an obvious red flag, but at the time, I was young and unfamiliar with this type of scam. Thankfully, the owner recognized it before we lost any money.

Years later, I received a text message from a potential customer looking for floral arrangements for his parents’ 50th anniversary. With a budget of six thousand dollars, I jumped at the opportunity and emailed three design options, of which he chose the most expensive. A few details seemed unusual, but I convinced myself they were harmless. However, when I asked how he wanted to pay, the nagging red flag in my head returned. He planned to email me an image of a check and wanted me to deposit it using my bank’s mobile app. It was clearly a scam, and the time it took away from legitimate business was frustrating.

Unlike many scams I’d encountered in the past, this one felt surprisingly legitimate. We communicated by text, email, and phone rather than relying on a single vague email. I was likely targeted because I operate a smaller business, where a six-thousand-dollar order is much more likely to get my attention. Although I was disappointed that I’d nearly fallen for the scam, the experience reminded me that scammers often go to great lengths to earn your trust before asking for an unusual form of payment.

Looking back, both situations had one thing in common—the unusually large orders created excitement. That’s exactly what scammers count on. While the fraud attempts played out differently, they followed a similar pattern—get me to overlook warning signs and move forward with the transaction.

Warning Signs of Fraudulent Purchases

Here are some of the warning signs I’ve learned to watch for when dealing with a new customer.

They’re a first-time customer placing a large order. While large first-time orders can certainly be legitimate, scammers often use impressive dollar amounts to make an opportunity difficult to pass up.
They show little interest in the details. A legitimate customer spending thousands of dollars will usually ask questions about plant selection, maintenance, scheduling, pricing, or your company’s experience. Scammers often focus only on completing the transaction.
They create unnecessary urgency. Pressure to process an order immediately or respond quickly is often intended to keep you from slowing down and considering whether the request is legitimate.

When it comes time to process payment, pay even closer attention to anything that falls outside your normal business practices.

They ask your business to cover costs upfront. Requests to pay shipping, freight, delivery, or other expenses with the promise of reimbursement are a common warning sign.
They propose unusual payment methods. Whether it’s an emailed image of a check, a payment confirmation that can’t be independently confirmed, or another payment request that seems unconventional, treat it as a reason to pause and investigate.
Important details change unexpectedly. A customer may appear legitimate throughout the sales process, only to change the shipping arrangements, payment process, or other important details at the last minute. Unexpected changes shouldn’t be ignored.

A single warning sign doesn’t necessarily mean you’re dealing with a scam. However, when several of these red flags appear together, it’s worth taking a closer look before moving forward.

Trust Your Instincts

The biggest lesson these experiences taught me is that no sale is worth ignoring your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, take a moment to ask additional questions before following through. I hope my experiences help you recognize these warning signs before they cost you valuable time and money.