Fighting Fraud
By Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland
Military Consumer Month is about more than honoring and celebrating those who have and are currently serving our country, it’s about educating, protecting, and supporting military families, veterans, and service members. Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) Serving Greater Cleveland recognizes the importance of alerting and educating those in military life to stay vigilant against scams.
Every year, BBB Institute for Marketplace TrustSM publishes the BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report. The report is a detailed account of the riskiest scams facing consumers and businesses. In 2024, military families and veterans reported higher median financial losses than non-military consumers. Additionally, active-duty service members submitted a higher media dollar loss than veterans and military spouses.
The top two riskiest scam types for veterans:
- Investment/cryptocurrency scams
- Employment job scams
BBB’s tips to avoid scams:
- Never send money to someone you haven’t met face-to-face. Beware of online friends who ask for money or offer investment opportunities, especially those encouraging cryptocurrency. Even if they seem to be an “online friend,” it might be an impersonator.
- Don’t click on links or open attachments in unsolicited texts and emails. It’s always best to do your own research and go directly to the source.
- Don’t believe everything you read or see. Scammers are great at mimicking official seals, fonts, websites, and other details.
- Don’t be pressured to act immediately. Instead, take the time to do more research.
- Beware of offers that seem too good to be true. Be cautious of seemingly perfect job offers.
- Use secure, traceable transactions when making payments for goods, services, taxes, and debt. Cash is great, but it is not traceable.
BBB’s Military and Veterans Initiative provides tailored resources to support and protect military families, active-duty service members, and veterans. Thank you for your service. We are proud to serve you.
If you’ve been the victim of an online shopping scam, report it to the BBB Scam Tracker. Your report helps us build consumer awareness and reduce the effectiveness of scammers’ favorite tactics. Have additional questions? Reach out to your BBB at 216-241-7678 or [email protected].
