“Recently, I’ve received an e-mail with the subject line saying “SIBUR Holding – polymer feedstock directly fr om the producer,” says one of the industry participants. “I knew right away it was scam. The sender used a third-level domain name in their e-mail, which is common for automated spam submissions, and indicated Yandex-based e-mail account for contacts. This is not typical of large corporations, so I contacted SIBUR’s representatives to let them know about the matter.”

This was not the first attempt to fraudulently use the Company’s name. In the current challenging economic environment, fraudulent practices have gained larger scale, and given the spread of internet and communications technology, have become more inventive. Industry players have been receiving fake e-mails and text messages since May 2016. On behalf of SIBUR or its subsidiaries, these messages, similar to one another, offer recipients to purchase polymers at prices below the market level. Furthermore, they use real names of sales managers at SIBUR’s Basic Polymers Division, while providing fake contact details, including telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. In addition to scam e-mails, a bogus web site was set up, which clones the official SIBUR’s web site along with providing fake contact details. The fraudulent web address differs fr om the real one by just one letter – www.slbur.ru.

Mind the spelling

“Such actions, of course, are not left unnoticed by the Company,” commented SIBUR's Legal Department. “We pursue two key lines of action to protect the Company, which are focused on the domain name similar to that of SIBUR’s, and the content copied fr om the Company’s official web site. There is an extensive court practice in relation to such cases. The legislation prohibits the use of absolutely identical domains, as well as domains that are similar to the point of confusion as in the case with the domain slbur.ru. Clients are also at risk of being misled by the use of the Company's brand colours at a fraudulent website.”

A bogus web site was set up, which clones the official SIBUR’s website along with providing fake contact details

In this case, wh ere one of the letters of the domain name of the official website is replaced by a similar one, the hosting provider and administrator are not based in Russia, which makes it relatively harder to protect the Company’s interests. Experience shows that such cases are not uncommon and the Moscow City Court has already issued a ruling on the application of interim measures to block the fraudulent website.

“In general, the legislation and court practice in this area are developed enough to effectively protect intellectual property and fight abuse,” commented experts at SIBUR’s Legal Department.

How to protect yourself

Often, clone websites are set up and uncommonly cheap products are offered by scam artists. Andrey Zotov, Head of Product Marketing at SIBUR: “If you get an offer to buy polymer products at a price below the market average by at least 10%, it should immediately arouse suspicion as 99% of such offers come from fraudsters, who have no goods for sale at all.”

According to SIBUR’s clients, they deal with attempted fraud frequently enough when offered to purchase products with a certain discount. Fraudsters always ask for a prepayment and never disclose their warehouse location promising to arrange for the product delivery directly to the customer. After the prepayment is made, the seller disappears, stops answering the calls and most often their phone number gets blocked. As a result, the client loses all the money they prepaid.

Scam recipients are often not careful enough to check wh ere the e-mail was sent from, who owns the web site or how reliable the company is, and fraudsters take advantage of this lack of care. Common market practices are another reason why such situations are possible. Cooperation with large suppliers involves certain requirements you need to meet before signing a contract, such as prepayment or a fixed order volume. At the same time, there are small producers that work with small orders and need to play promptly.

If you have any reason to suspect that you have contacted potential fraudsters, please write on e-mail hot line

“They accept orders and secure supplies. In the mid-month, another customer pops up, who is also looking for a lower price, so the producer rushes to source the required cheap supplies and is ready to consider different sourcing options. This is the stage that fraudsters make their move,” says one of SIBUR’s clients.

He adds there is a number of simple rules that will keep you safe. First, pay attention to details, such as the domain name, e-mail address and supplier feedback available on the web. It is also necessary to make inquiries to get feedback from other customers. This can help to avoid getting into trouble.

“We have been in the market since 2008 and have a track record of identifying fraudulent firms. For instance, recently, I have received a price list using SIBUR’s logo, but I noticed that the contacts referred to Rostov-on-Don and the prices were too low. So I re-sent this e-mail to SIBUR’s manager with whom we keep in touch,” said one of SIBUR's clients. His only advice to colleagues is to be careful.

“When there are any doubts, you must immediately quit any relations with the suspicious counterparty. They always ask to pay in advance. If the client gets tricked by a low price, then the fraudsters just vanish with the client's money and are never to be found,” he adds. SIBUR is committed to combating fraud, doing its best to protect the clients from fraudsters.

SIBUR’s Economic Security Division developed a list of recommendations that will help you to protect yourself from fraudsters.

All telephone numbers and e-mail addresses (domain names) used to make offers to purchase the products of SIBUR Holding need to be verified on the official website of the Company at www.sibur.ru, wh ere you can also find the phone numbers of SIBUR’s regional sales offices.

• SIBUR Holding does not market its products through third parties using agency arrangements. The Company never sends e-mails containing lists of products and prices and never uses text messaging with offers to buy its products.

• If you receive a suspicious offer, please report this using the Company’s e-mail hot line.

• If the offer is suspicious, always insist on a personal meeting with the manager at SIBUR Holding’s office located at 16 Krzhizhanovskogo St., Bld. 1 and Bld. 3 to discuss the details. As a rule, fraudsters end communication if you insist on meeting personally. To protect yourself from particularly bold fraudsters, be aware that the Company's employees are prohibited from conducting negotiations in the office lobby, and that a pass is always required for a visit to the Company’s office.

• In case of any suspicious contacts from potential scammers (by telephone or e-mail) please report this to an e-mail hotline supported by SIBUR’s Economic Security Division at: For_info@sibur.ru.

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