Early last month, small businesses lost $1.3 million due to a scam pertaining to OSHA labor law posters. So what is OSHA? Those simple four letters are short for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. For businesses of any size, OSHA requires the display of labor law posters. And, typically these are updated every year based on new laws or regulations pertaining to minimum wage, etc.

The backstory on the scam in a nutshell is this: small businesses received a call from people posing as government agencies, in which small business owners were encouraged to purchase occupational safety posters for upwards of $180. Luckily, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found out and is nipping this in the bud. For any small businesses that did purchase a fraudulent poster, the FTC is working on getting said businesses refunds.

What a mess, right? We don’t want you or your organization to be scammed – here’s how to avoid potential OSHA scams in the future:

First things first, what are some signs of OSHA scams?

• If you receive a call or email stating that your current labor law and occupational safety posters are outdated
• If you receive a call or email stating that your business is not in compliance and you run the risk of severe fines if you do not take action (AKA spend your money on new posters)
• If you receive a call from a so-called government agency, but you feel like you are being threatened on the call

While the scam above occurred very recently, the unfortunate reality is that these scams occur more frequently than we’d like to think.

How to avoid being scammed:

• Verify – this is mainly for someone “selling” posters door to door; ask to see someone’s ID if you suspect something’s up
• For emails and calls you may receive, you can also easily do research on OSHA’s website to see if any laws or regulations actually did change in your state
• For emails and calls you may receive, research the company selling the posters. The Internet is full of extremely handy and helpful information. A simple Google search can go a long way and always use your best judgement.

The overall point is this: you should never feel threatened when you receive any form of communication from a legitimate company. Not to mention, OSHA workplace posters can be downloaded for FREE. So, ya know, that should make things even easier. And lastly, we all can help stop these scam artists – if you suspect that someone or a company is impersonating OSHA, contact OSHA at 1-800-321-6742.