Suppliers & Partners

Because UMass values the relationship with our vendors and partners, we have prepared the below information for educational purposes and to limit instances of our vendors/partners becoming victimized by scams.

It has come to our attention that a nationwide fraud/scam has been targeting University suppliers across the country, including UMass.

The scammers pretend to be University employees and request product quotes from suppliers. Once the quote is provided, a fraudulent purchase order (PO) is provided to the supplier which looks very similar to an official University document. 

The purchase order will often request delivery to an address not affiliated with the University. After shipment, payment is not rendered by the originator of the order.

Be mindful of red flags such as:

  • Phone numbers, email addresses, or physical addresses not associated with the university
  • Grammatical errors
  • Rushed orders

If you suspect fraud, please contact a member of the University of Massachusetts Procurement Team to verify the purchase order at upst@umassp.edu

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