Business ProfileforAshley Furniture Industries, Inc.

9/10/08Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. has informed the Better Business Bureau that the "Ashley Furniture" name is being used on the Internet by someone not associated with Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., to perpetrate work-at-home and counterfeit check scams. Between November 2007 and August 2008, the company has received almost 8,000 inquiries from consumers who have received bogus email messages from scammers pretending to represent Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. Generally, the scam email message informs consumers of a fictitious work-at-home position as an Ashley Furniture accounts receivable employee. Consumers who responded to the scam were sent counterfeit checks by the scammers, were instructed to deposit the counterfeit checks into their personal accounts, to deduct a commission, and to wire the remainder to someone representing themselves to be an "Ashley Furniture Representative". These bogus job offers and the people perpetrating these scams are NOT affiliated with or connected to Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. The company does not offer work-at-home jobs. If you have received one of these suspicious email messages, Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., would like you to forward the email message to fraudreply@ashleyfurniture.com. Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., has also posted a response page on its website http://www.ashleyfurniture.com/Feedback/OnlineScam.aspx .If you are the recipient of one of these bogus, work-at-home job offers, here is some advice from the BBB: * If the "company" sends you a check, asks you to deposit it into your personal account, and wire funds overseas, stop immediately. This is a red flag that the check is counterfeit.* Don't assume that the check is legitimate just because your bank accepts it for deposit. It may take weeks for the bank to learn it's counterfeit. *If the check is counterfeit, you will owe the bank the amount of the check that was deposited over your endorsement (plus any applicable penalties). You're the one that is ultimately liable to your financial institution. *You will not be able to recover your funds from the money wire service. Once the money has been sent, it's gone!*If you are a victim of this scam, you should contact your local law enforcement agency.