Three California companies suspected of attempting to scam Iowa libraries are now barred from doing business in Iowa. Those companies are accused of billing libraries and other business in Iowa for exorbitant prices for printer toner, even though the toner had not been ordered. Steve St. Clair works in the consumer protection division at Iowa Attorney General’s office. He says this type of scam used to be much more common.

“I had thought that it was mostly a scheme of the past,” St. Clair says. “Clearly this is a reminder that we need to remain vigilant and keep our eyes open for other instances in which somebody’s kind of recycling that used to be prominent and now has become much less so. ” The companies are Central Supply Center of Orange and owner Sandra Steinmetz; Elite Supplies of Irvine, and owner Krystle Lester; and Central Supply Solutions of Orange, and owner Brittany Hertsch. The three owners are related-Steinmetz is an aunt of Lester and Hertsch, who are half-sisters. This settlement bars the women from marketing office supplies in Iowa.

“So if these operators were to violate that by trying to pull a toner scheme again in Iowa, then we would have criminal sanctions available for contempt of court,” according to St. Clair. It’s unknown if any of the offices contacted actually paid the fake invoices. The settlement requires Hertsch, Lester and Steinmetz to refund any Iowan who did pay one of the fake invoices.

(Radio Iowa)