It has come to the attention of HSJ Online that an individual not associated with our hometown newspaper has been calling local businesses and attempting to sell ad spots.  Please be advised HSJ Online's advertising team conducts all such solicitations face to face.  The caller was also asking for debit card payment up front over the phone.  We never require advance payment for advertising and it is our practice to send out paper invoice.

Please stay vigilant and never give out personal information over the phone.  I myself have fallen victim to scammers over the years.  Once I was asked the model of my printer for a supply quote.  Naively I told the caller, and every three months more printer cartridge's than we could use in three years arrived.  They kept arriving and shipments had to be refused.  I have also confirmed company information over the phone only  to later be billed an exorbitant amount for a business directory listing.  The scammers will record you and make it seem you are agreeing to something you are not, making it very hard to fight later.  The Better Business Bureau was a wonderful recourse in dis-entangling myself from these scammers.  I hate to be rude, but those experiences have made me very curt with cold callers attempting to garner information.