Numerous members of the Eastern Building Material Dealers Association (EBMDA) have reported being victims of scams concocted by firms Canstruct and AYA Distributors.
Numerous members of the Eastern Building Material Dealers Association (EBMDA) have reported being victims of scams concocted by firms Canstruct and AYA Distributors.
According to an EBMDA email to members, Canstruct and AYA Distributors have robbed materials dealers of several hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of building materials. Canstruct and AYA Distributors contact retail lumber yards in the U.S., set up credit accounts, order large quantities of materials, send in purchase orders and then pick up the order, later disappearing without paying.
The EBMDA believes Canstruct and AYA Distributors established credit accounts with dealers using a front company with a triple-A credit rating. Material orders ranged from $25,000 to $200,000.
Now the EBMDA and Northeastern Retail Lumber Association (NRLA) are working with authorities, including the FBI, to stop Canstruct and AYA Distributors. The EBMDA is asking victims to fill out this form and submit it to the association so it can forward the information to the FBI. Completed forms can be emailed to [email protected] or faxed to (717) 735-9142.
"If we can collect information and documentation from our members," the EBMDA wrote to members, "then we can show the state and federal authorities that this is an organized retail theft ring and they will be able to elevate our case to a higher priority and truly open an investigation."
Some members have started a discussion about the scam in the Confessions of a Sales Manager LinkedIn group.