Scammers are falsely claiming to be representing the BBB to have access to companies’ payroll information.

Cristo’s House of Pasta, located in Norton Ohio, received calls from a ‘Jim Maclin’ who claimed to be a representative of the BBB.  Mr. Maclin informed the owner of Christo’s House of Pasta that there were a lot of complaints filed against the company by their employees and that he needed to ‘audit’ the payroll records of the company. Ms. Oddo, the owner of Christo’s House of Pasta, questioned the tactics of Mr. Maclin and contacted the local BBB to confirm that this is not a  standard practice of the Better Business Bureau.

The BBB assured Ms. Oddo that Mr. Maclin is also not an employee of the BBB serving Ashland, Medina, Portage, Richland, Summit & Wayne Counties, and that no complaints had been filed against Cristo’s House of Pasta. The BBB also does not audit payroll records. The BBB was unsuccessful in trying to reach Mr. Maclin at the phone numbers he provided to Ms. Oddo.

“Always make sure the story checks out,” said Christy Page, CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Ashland, Medina, Portage, Richland, Summit and Wayne Counties.  “Confirm the facts directly with the organization the representative claims to be from – whether it’s the Better Business Bureau or any organization.  Use the contact information that you found on your own from the organization’s Web site; don’t rely on phone numbers or Web links provided by the representative.  Scammers often pretend to be from legitimate businesses or non-profits and a quick call directly to the organization can help set the record straight.”

Page also added that any and all disputes between employees and their employer are handled by the State of Ohio Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, and they can be reached at (614) 644-2239.

The Better Business Bureau is reminding business-owners that that they do not send representatives to audit payroll or any part of their financial records.  For more information on the BBB and to access Business Reviews on companies visit www.akron.bbb.org or call our 24/7 phone line:  330-253-4590.