The Kansas City Star has been targeted by a nationwide billing scam, according to Star editors.
The paper has been publishing a warning box in its print edition cautioning readers to disregard any renewal notices asking for money to be sent to Oregon or Nevada.
The newspaper has been dealing with the scam for nearly two months now. Public Editor Derek Donovan said the scammers work by sending out fake renewal invoices claiming the recipient is overdue on their subscription payments, but many times, the letters aren't even sent to actual subscribers.
"This is a 'shotgun' approach," Donovan said. "They go to neighborhoods where they know it's likely that people are subscribing, and send [invoices] to everyone on the block."
The scammers are using names such as Publisher Payment Company, Associated Publishers Network and Subscription Billing Service.
John Murray of the Newspaper Association of America said the organization behind the scam operated for several years by targeting national publications under at least 40 different company names, but now is taking an even broader approach.
"Apparently it works well enough that they decided to move beyond magazines and national newspapers," Murray said. "Throughout this year have been billing smaller community newspapers and regional newspapers."
The scam also tries to prevent newspapers from pursuing legal actions by sending them part of the checks and cash they receive from unwitting residents. Murray says it's hard to know exactly how many newspapers have been affected by the billing scam, but his organization has been contacted by at least 50 publications so far.
The Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau are warning consumers about the scam, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and numerous attorneys general across the country are now pursuing legal actions against the scam group.
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster's office would not confirm whether it was also pursuing action against the scammers, but did appear to be aware of the situation.
