# Just Got A Call From Amazon Accounts Payable Review Audit Department



## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

So, just got a voicemail that freaked me out. 
Kathy in the Amazon Accounts Payable Review Dept called me from 616.257.6358, telling me I needed to fax a statement (of what, she didn't say) to 877.854.5953 or email it to her at [email protected] 

Course I took to the net and another forum instead of returning her call, seems it's a scam, most likely. 
So, heads up people. Don't freak out like I did there for a second.


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

You know it couldn't be legit. People at Amazon don't know how to use the phone.


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

I always Google numbers on stuff like that. If you run that number it shows up in search results with other people complaining about scams. I run numbers every single time now because the scams are so prevalent. Then, if they call back, I totally mess with them because I'm small and petty and I'm not happy until they claim they're going to call the police on me.


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

Right? 
This is why I hate people.


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

Tempted to have my accountant call and play with them. But definitely gonna email Amazon and let them know about the email address these guys are currently using. Doubt they're going to like that, lol.


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## KelliWolfe (Oct 14, 2014)

brkingsolver said:


> You know it couldn't be legit. People at Amazon don't know how to use the phone.


I LOL'd.


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

So... An author friend just got the same call. She mentioned fraud and got hung up on. 
Think Zons been hacked for phone numbers?
One is a shot in the dark. But, two?


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## My_Txxxx_a$$_Left_Too (Feb 13, 2014)

Content removed due to TOS Change of 2018. I do not agree to the terms.


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

Going Incognito said:


> So... An author friend just got the same call. She mentioned fraud and got hung up on.
> Think Zons been hacked for phone numbers?
> One is a shot in the dark. But, two?


I doubt Amazon got hacked. Apparently they're using that number for a Best Buy scam, too. They're probably cold calling people.


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

I don't answer the phone unless it's a number I recognize. Same policy with returning voicemails.

Ain't nobody got time fo dat.

If it's important, I'll get something in the mail.


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## LGAdams (Oct 29, 2016)

I am the one who got hung up on. It's a company called PRGX in Grand Rapids. They really are an auditing company, and she knew my name, phone number, and the fact I work with Amazon. But when I told her they'd been "reported" for fraud (meaning reported on a web forum for being a phone call scam fraud), she hung up on me.

Everybody keep a look out. If they call you, please consider answering and finding out more about what's up?


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

At least that matches with the phone number being out of Michigan. From the PRGX website "We believe no other accounts payable recovery audit firm audits more industry leaders in more countries and identifies and recovers more overpayments than PRGX."
https://www.prgx.com/

I emailed the ecr address to ask/inform Amazon, and I've got a call in to my accountant, who's at lunch, to see what he knows of them/ can do since theyre talking 'audits.'

We'll see, I guess.

Course, my sense of humor:
Amazon is trying to get some of their page reads back, lol.

Edit- Oh! Or Amazon is getting audited, lol.


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## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

I usually say something like 'this call is being traced and recorded for quality purposes'. 
To really mess with them you pretend you called them and start making demands. That can be fun.


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## LGAdams (Oct 29, 2016)

Going Incognito said:


> Course, my sense of humor:
> Amazon is trying to get some of their page reads back, lol.
> 
> Edit- Oh! Or Amazon is getting audited, lol.


So, can we hire this company to get some of OUR page reads back??


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> I usually say something like 'this call is being traced and recorded for quality purposes'.
> To really mess with them you pretend you called them and start making demands. That can be fun.


Well, they never were real clear about what kind of a 'statement' they wanted. I could come up with a few statements about this whole thing that I'd be glad to fax over there. 



LGAdams said:


> So, can we hire this company to get some of OUR page reads back??


I was totally writing this off as a cold calling scam, til you got the same phone call.
I'm quite curious to hear back from Zon in anywhere from 24 hours to a week. Checking my email every 10 seconds won't cut into my writing time at all.


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## Cheyanne (Jan 9, 2013)

Although it's probably a scam, Amazon HAS called me before, from that same area code, to address a problem with my account that I complained about on these forums. So they do call people and they do watch what we say on here. In the end, my problem was fixed and I was happy but it was WEIRD getting that call from them.


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

Cheyanne said:


> Although it's probably a scam, Amazon HAS called me before, from that same area code, to address a problem with my account that I complained about on these forums. So they do call people and they do watch what we say on here. In the end, my problem was fixed and I was happy but it was WEIRD getting that call from them.


Wow, really? That's interesting. Not that they lurk here, but that you've gotten a legit call from that same area code. So maybe?

There's just enough meat on the bone to keep me wondering, you know?
But if it legit, why are they not more exact in what kind of statement they need? And why hang up on LGAdams mid 'we're legit' conversation? Still waiting to hear from Zon, of course, but my accountant's office just called back, said "aw hell no, don't tell them anything. Too fishy. They could've pulled that PGRX company name out of their ass to try and look legit, knowing where their phone number would place them in a quick search." (Paraphrased, of course) 
Said to let Amazon know. And only if Amazon is all, "yeah, they're with us," should it go any further, and even then, not without more details, etc.

So, he thought it was as fishy as we did.
Now just waiting on Zon to email back some time this week, maybe.


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## 75845 (Jan 1, 1970)

Going Incognito said:


> definitely gonna email Amazon and let them know about the email address these guys are currently using.


I wish you luck with that. After Amazon made a plea for publishers to help them with dubious marketers I emailed KDP about someone on Twitter who was contacting me and using Amazon's name as part of their claimed business name. I got a rude response from the customer agent and when I pointed out the KDP request the supervisor was called in to be even ruder. So I told them I would never voluntarily help Amazon again.


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## Cactus Lady (Jun 4, 2014)

Jan Hurst-Nicholson said:


> I usually say something like 'this call is being traced and recorded for quality purposes'.
> To really mess with them you pretend you called them and start making demands. That can be fun.


lol, maybe I'll answer the phone sometime just so I can do this.

I only answer the phone if I know for absolute certain it's someone I feel like talking to at the moment.


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## Word Fan (Apr 15, 2015)

Amanda M. Lee said:


> I always Google numbers on stuff like that. If you run that number it shows up in search results with other people complaining about scams. I run numbers every single time now because the scams are so prevalent. Then, if they call back, I totally mess with them because I'm [wonderfully evil and devious] and I'm not happy until they claim they're going to call the police on me.


Oooooh! I love that! I'll have to remember that.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

I get the fun aspect of playing around with these people, but don't forget that they are criminals who are morally challenged. Even if they don't know where you live, they can hurt you (e.g.bad reviews).

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## Taking my troll a$$ outta here (Apr 8, 2013)

Amanda M. Lee said:


> I always Google numbers on stuff like that. If you run that number it shows up in search results with other people complaining about scams. I run numbers every single time now because the scams are so prevalent. Then, if they call back, I totally mess with them because I'm small and petty and I'm not happy until they claim they're going to call the police on me.


Ditto lol. I never answer the phone unless I know who it is. And I google any numbers where strangers leave a message.


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

TromboneAl said:


> I get the fun aspect of playing around with these people, but don't forget that they are criminals who are morally challenged. Even if they don't know where you live, they can hurt you (e.g.bad reviews).
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


These are mostly low paid workers who make like $8 an hour for a scam artist and they have no idea who you are or what you do. They get a bank of 5,000 numbers to call for a day and their spiel on all of them. Then, when that number and scam are chased by law enforcement, they jump to different numbers and a different scam. They don't know who you are or what you do for a living.


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

This does sound fishy, but, I used to work in the accounts payable department for a Fortune 500 company and audits (internal and external) are normal. 

That's how they catch mistakes (clerk entered $5,000 instead of $500, clawback time), embezzlement, and other fraud. Other reasons to call vendors would be if a payment is open for ions on the books, that drives accountants nutty.   But a big company is going to use one of the big four public accounting firms. And they leave very clear instructions about what they need.

Anyway just dull stories from the AP trenches.


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## Accord64 (Mar 12, 2012)

I highly recommend using Nomoroboto block these types of calls. I've been using them for a couple of years and they have an impressive accuracy rate.


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

So, from private fb groups and other forums, seems about a dozen kdp'ers have gotten this call. So far no one has given info, everyone wrote it off as a scam and no one compared notes til now. 
So- how'd they get real names, numbers etc?
Wouldn't put it past Zon getting hacked and not saying...?


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## ShayneRutherford (Mar 24, 2014)

Have all the people who got calls been writing as themselves? Or did they use pen names?


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

Pen names, as far as myself and the few I know personally.


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## Marina Finlayson (May 2, 2014)

Perhaps they got real names and numbers from looking up Whois info on author websites?


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

Just checked mine to be sure, but I show up as 'domains by proxy' private stuff.


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## AgnesWebb (Jan 13, 2013)

brkingsolver said:


> You know it couldn't be legit. People at Amazon don't know how to use the phone.


This X 1,000!!!!
Amazon employees on a phone?! NO.


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## bobfrost (Sep 29, 2013)

I've talked to quite a few Amazon employees on the phone. It's not hard to email them and ask them to open your account up for phone support to resolve an issue.

And there's also the executive contact team that will call you directly.

I received this call from the woman at PRGX as well. I didn't give her any information. It felt like a scam.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Alan Petersen said:


> This does sound fishy, but, I used to work in the accounts payable department for a Fortune 500 company and audits (internal and external) are normal.
> 
> That's how they catch mistakes (clerk entered $5,000 instead of $500, clawback time), embezzlement, and other fraud. Other reasons to call vendors would be if a payment is open for ions on the books, that drives accountants nutty.  But a big company is going to use one of the big four public accounting firms. And they leave very clear instructions about what they need.
> 
> Anyway just dull stories from the AP trenches.


I agree. It is the vague 'statement' part that raises a red flag with me. It's not impossible the callers were given poor instructions, but usually in an audit they'd be told exactly what to ask for.


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## Tess McCallum (Jan 3, 2017)

LGAdams said:


> So, can we hire this company to get some of OUR page reads back??


ROFLMAO


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## Sandy Raven (Jan 11, 2014)

Anarchist said:


> I don't answer the phone unless it's a number I recognize. Same policy with returning voicemails.
> 
> Ain't nobody got time fo dat.
> 
> If it's important, I'll get something in the mail.


This just made my day. Because my family frequently says "Why do you even have a phone if you don't turn your ringer on?" My reply? Because I need a camera that plays music. :-D


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## Abalone (Jan 31, 2014)

Amanda M. Lee said:


> I always Google numbers on stuff like that. If you run that number it shows up in search results with other people complaining about scams. I run numbers every single time now because the scams are so prevalent. Then, if they call back, I totally mess with them because I'm small and petty and I'm not happy until they claim they're going to call the police on me.


I used to love doing that to those fools before I got a new phone and it blocks those junk numbers for me.


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## Annette_g (Nov 27, 2012)

Going Incognito said:


> So, just got a voicemail that freaked me out.
> Kathy in the Amazon Accounts Payable Review Dept called me from 616.257.6358, telling me I needed to fax a statement (of what, she didn't say) to 877.854.5953 or email it to her at [email protected]
> 
> Course I took to the net and another forum instead of returning her call, seems it's a scam, most likely.
> So, heads up people. Don't freak out like I did there for a second.


That's the part that gets me. A fax? The 1980's called a and want their fax machine back 

Although some places do still use faxes these days.


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## AltMe (May 18, 2015)

Annette_g said:


> Although some places do still use faxes these days.


I just threw ours out. We haven't used it in 6 months.

Now its scan and email.


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

The thing that gets me is that this is supposedly an outside company either doing something for Amazon, or auditing Amazon itself. So why are you going to email anything to an @amazon.com address? If this was someone in Amazon's accounts payable department, they'd be coming through Amazon, not some number that belongs to some outside company. And Amazon wouldn't hang up on you, they'd say, right, we get that a lot, let me get you some information you can verify.



Accord64 said:


> I highly recommend using Nomoroboto block these types of calls. I've been using them for a couple of years and they have an impressive accuracy rate.


That would be an awesome service, because I get so many robo calls it's ridiculous. Apparently, being on the Do Not Call list is pointless. But I don't have VoIP, just an old-fashioned land line through the phone company. I guess? I'll have to ask my sons to look into, they pay more attention to stuff like that.

But, I'm like Amanda and look these numbers up (well, back when I had a way of getting the numbers -- no voice mail, no caller ID, can't afford it right now.). I even got my mother trained to do it. She gets a number she doesn't know, and calls me to look it up. She's not a trusting person, either. I'd just not answer the phone, but with my parents' health, my sibling's health and having three kids out and about and possibly having emergencies, I can't ignore it.

My first instinct when I get calls or emails like this is "scam". I check things out later, but I'm 99.9% correct. If more people automatically cast a skeptical eye on stuff like this, it wouldn't be a booming business and people wouldn't be hurt.


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## KeenToWrite (Oct 30, 2015)

Amanda M. Lee said:


> I totally mess with them because I'm small and petty and I'm not happy until they claim they're going to call the police on me.


Thank god I'm not the only one.


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

Sandy Raven said:


> This just made my day. Because my family frequently says "Why do you even have a phone if you don't turn your ringer on?" My reply? Because I need a camera that plays music. :-D


I relate. My ringer is always off as I dislike interruptions.

My phone is mostly a tool for using Todoist and Evernote.


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## PhoenixS (Apr 5, 2011)

***********


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

So far the consensus is that it's a scammer, using the name of a real employee at a real auditing company as cover. Amazon has even said they use this company, but they're unaware of any audits going on at the moment. Of course the left hand never knows what the right hand is doing at Amazon, so even that doesn't mean anything. The lady does work at the company, verified thru linked in kinda stuff, but we're guessing it's not the actual real lady calling, as she wouldn't get so flustered, etc. 
The phone number is a Michigan number. The @amazon email address does belong to an Amazon ip in Seattle tho. And she's identified herself to some as calling on behalf of, or from, Amazon, and to others as being from the Michigan company, doing work for Amazon. 
But she is working off a list of author's real names, business names and phone numbers that only Amazon has, supposedly. So insider selling data? Hacking? Still no clue what the end game is, but as a scam, she's done her homework. 
Still no response back from ecr.


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## John Etzil (Nov 15, 2016)

Anarchist said:


> I don't answer the phone unless it's a number I recognize. Same policy with returning voicemails.
> 
> Ain't nobody got time fo dat.
> 
> If it's important, I'll get something in the mail.


Best answer.


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

New update.


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

Going Incognito said:


> New update.


Hmm, if they're a legit AP recovery firm, more than likely they're trying to recover overpayments. As I mentioned up thread, it's very common for accounts payable departments to make mistakes and overpay a vendor, so these firms try to recover that and they keep a percent of the amount recovered.

That might be why they're being a bit cagey because it's basically collections, so they don't want to say too much over voicemail. Not saying they're legit, but the business is very legit and all big companies use third party companies to try to find overpayments and then to go out and get the overpayment amount back.


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

Alan Petersen said:


> Hmm, if they're a legit AP recovery firm, more than likely they're trying to recover overpayments. As I mentioned up thread, it's very common for accounts payable departments to make mistakes and overpay a vendor, so these firms try to recover that and they keep a percent of the amount recovered.
> 
> That might be why they're being a bit cagey because it's basically collections, so they don't want to say too much over voicemail. Not saying they're legit, but the business is very legit and all big companies use third party companies to try to find overpayments and then to go out and get the overpayment amount back.


The very few who actually answered the phone said she gets really flustered when pinned down. She hung up on the one who was willing to post her story here. Others have said that she assures you that she's emailing you proof of who she is right now, so as you're waiting for the proof, can you tell me... Only the proof email never actually shows up. 
Others say, you know what? Send me something in writing, list exactly what it is you want, and why, then we'll talk. Only the written stuff never arrives and oddly enough she stops answering or returning that vendors calls. 
That doesn't sound like someone who does this day in and day out as their job. 
It just gets weirder and weirder.


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

Going Incognito said:


> The very few who actually answered the phone said she gets really flustered when pinned down. She hung up on the one who was willing to post her story here. Others have said that she assures you that she's emailing you proof of who she is right now, so as you're waiting for the proof, can you tell me... Only the proof email never actually shows up.
> Others say, you know what? Send me something in writing, list exactly what it is you want, and why, then we'll talk. Only the written stuff never arrives and oddly enough she stops answering or returning that vendors calls.
> That doesn't sound like someone who does this day in and day out as their job.
> It just gets weirder and weirder.


 Yeah that sounds really weird. A real firm representative would have it down to the cent as to why they're calling. It could be a scammer pretending to be with that company. If she is legit, she needs to go back to day one of training for her job!

There are scammers who call pretending to be with the IRS demanding payment on taxes owed, and people fall for that, so be careful everyone. Scammers everywhere.


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## mach 5 (Dec 5, 2015)

I wanted to add, be careful about calling into a number that could be a scam. The voice activated controls on automated systems can record you saying yes (like there's an answer of "hello" then you start talking, then a voice interrupts and asks "are you there" and you reply with "yes") then all of a sudden there's a $10 charge on your phone bill for some phone service (like the old 900 numbers).

This is one of the reasons I don't answer unless I know the caller. Everyone else can leave a voicemail if they are legit. Also, I've had my own phone number call me by mimicking random local numbers, that happened in this case to be mine. Don't know how the scammers do that, but they do.


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## Desmond X. Torres (Mar 16, 2013)

I just had to add this for a laugh. I wish I was as quick on my feet...


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

So, the words from on high basically boil down to-

It's all legit. We shouldn't have been called cause we sell no physical product, so any ebook people contacted were on the wrong list by mistake. Our inability and unwillingness to cooperate and to get in line confused poor Kathy and she didn't know how to handle us, lol.

That's all folks. Nothing to see here, thankfully.


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## Hurricane John (Jul 12, 2010)

Going Incognito said:


> So, the words from on high basically boil down to-
> 
> It's all legit. We shouldn't have been called cause we sell no physical product, so any ebook people contacted were on the wrong list by mistake. Our inability and unwillingness to cooperate and to get in line confused poor Kathy and she didn't know how to handle us, lol.
> 
> That's all folks. Nothing to see here, thankfully.


In your first email you mentioned that on the original message she was asking you for a statement....so what statement was she looking for?


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

Hurricane John said:


> In your first email you mentioned that on the original message she was asking you for a statement....so what statement was she looking for?


He didn't state the name of the statement, unless a 'statement of credits outstanding' is the technical term, which it could be, I guess. I have no accounting background. They're looking for overpayments, basically. Calling accounting departments of vendors to see if someone was expecting a $5 payment for 5 widgets but received $500 instead, and the over payment is just sitting there as a credit on the books. Guess one half of the audit is calling and asking for those while the other half of the audit is looking thru Amazon's records for duplicate payments, overpayments, etc. Some digital vendors just got put on the list with the physical item vendors list by mistake.

So, if you sell widgets, and got some woohoo money, be ready for a phone call. The Zon is calling, they want their money back.


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

Going Incognito said:


> He didn't state the name of the statement, unless a 'statement of credits outstanding' is the technical term, which it could be, I guess. I have no accounting background. They're looking for overpayments, basically. Calling accounting departments of vendors to see if someone was expecting a $5 payment for 5 widgets but received $500 instead, and the over payment is just sitting there as a credit on the books. Guess one half of the audit is calling and asking for those while the other half of the audit is looking thru Amazon's records for duplicate payments, overpayments, etc. Some digital vendors just got put on the list with the physical item vendors list by mistake.
> 
> So, if you sell widgets, and got some woohoo money, be ready for a phone call. The Zon is calling, they want their money back.


Glad to hear the mystery is solved!

Part of those audits is to check if the transactions are legit so they reach out to vendors for confirmation. For example, we're showing we paid your invoice for $100 for this transaction, please send us a copy of that transaction so we can confirm it's the same and they can rule out a clerical error, fraud, etc.

They just pull a percent of the vendors. So if they're checking 15% of all vendors it makes sense a few indie KDP publishers would get snagged in. Now that they realized we're not like a regular vendor or supplier with purchases orders, invoices, and other AP transactions, they're like, hmm, nevermind. 

I wanted to add that back in my AP days, it was always very annoying when these third party companies would call our vendors saying they were with XYZ Accounts Payable when they really are not, they're working on behalf of, but not really part of that company. Because then the vendors would call our department asking about it, and we have nothing to do with that request. But I understand why they're doing it, you're going to get their attention if you say you're with Amazon's Accounts Payable versus PGRX Consulting.


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## Going Incognito (Oct 13, 2013)

Alan Petersen said:


> ...itwas always very annoying when these third party companies would call our vendors saying they were with XYZ Accounts Payable when they really are not, they're working on behalf of, but not really part of that company. Because then the vendors would call our department asking about it, and we have nothing to do with that request. But I understand why they're doing it, you're going to get their attention if you say you're with Amazon's Accounts Payable versus PGRX Consulting.


Right? That did not help in the slightest with the whole is this legit or a scam thing. Cause we all went, what? You're with Amazon, and you're _calling_? Just out of the blue? Nobody _made_ you call, after 12 escalating emails first? Pssh, that can't be right.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

Sandy Raven said:


> This just made my day. Because my family frequently says "Why do you even have a phone if you don't turn your ringer on?" My reply? Because I need a camera that plays music. :-D


I use and recommend a product called Sentry blocker.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## Anna Drake (Sep 22, 2014)

Amanda M. Lee said:


> I always Google numbers on stuff like that. If you run that number it shows up in search results with other people complaining about scams. I run numbers every single time now because the scams are so prevalent. Then, if they call back, I totally mess with them because I'm small and petty and I'm not happy until they claim they're going to call the police on me.


LOL!


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