Fighting Fraud
By Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland
Better Business Bureau® Serving Greater Cleveland (BBB®) has released its local Top Ten Scams of 2023. The list was compiled from reports submitted to BBB Scam TrackerSM by residents of Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Ashtabula counties. The continued influences of steady inflation and the changing dynamics of the job market have played a large part in how scammers chose to target their victims in 2023.
Top 10 Scams:
- Phishing and Online Purchase Scams took the top two spots for the third year in a row. Con artists continue to take advantage of the increasing numbers of online shoppers.
- Sweepstakes, Lottery and Prize Scams landed the #3 spot. Older consumers are often the victim of phony “Publishers Clearinghouse” and other bogus come-ons.
- Employment Scams moved up to the #4 position from last year. This is not surprising since BBB has seen an increase in business imposters and employment scams offering cushy “work from home” opportunities. Scammers pose as long-established companies, both small and large, to offer tempting remote work opportunities. Victims pay fees or are sent counterfeit checks to buy equipment needed for the position. BBB has also seen many reports of “Parcel Mule” or reshipping scams in the area. In this scam, consumers are unknowingly aiding money laundering operations by shipping packages. Both of these scams also put victims at risk for identity theft since they also typically expose personally identifiable information, such as social security numbers and bank account numbers, to scammers.
- Tech Support Scams rose to the #5 spot this year from #6 in the previous year. This is in line with other trends BBB has seen concerning consumers spending increasing time online; whether it be making online purchases or working at home, in front of a computer.
- Government Agency Imposters moved up one spot to #6. Government Agency imposters typically take the form of scammers impersonating Medicaid or the Internal Revenue Service, but this year, BBB has also seen reports of Government Agency Imposters using fanciful names such as the Financial Crime Network of the US Treasury, the Corporate Transparency Division, United States Government Debt Relief, and the United States Business Regulations Department. In addition to the typical fake law enforcement agent and Medicare benefit calls consumers typically receive from scammers, they have also reported receiving calls concerning debt relief funds or “lost” sweepstakes winnings from government programs.
- Debt Collections, Bank/Credit Card Company Imposters, and Government Grant Imposters continued the list of top scams. Unsurprisingly, debt relief is weighing heavily on consumer’s minds. The promise of free money, whether from a sweepstakes or grant, can be a very motivating factor for consumers to disregard normal precautions they may have against scams.
- Advance Fee Loan Scams came in 10th, which is a notable change from previous years’ statistics where they often fell in 12th place (2022) or 15th place (2021). Consumers experiencing the financial crunch of inflation may be especially susceptible to fraud of this nature since debt relief—whether it be in the form of sweepstake winnings, a grant, a government program or a loan—would be a welcome respite from increasing credit card balances and interest payments.
| Scam Type | 2023
Percentage |
2022
Percentage |
2021Percentage |
| Online Purchase | 28.61% | 17.55% | 16.34% |
| Phishing | 13.56% | 15.88% | 20.65% |
| Sweepstakes, Lottery, & Prizes | 11.10% | 14.07% | 11.90% |
| Employment | 9.37% | 5.58% | 3.85% |
| Tech Support | 4.69% | 5.01% | 5.13% |
| Government Agency Imposter | 3.95% | 5.01% | 9.69% |
| Debt Collections | 3.70% | 2.93% | 4.08% |
| Bank/Credit Card Company Imposter | 3.33% | 2.37% | 2.68% |
| Government Grant | 1.85% | 7.10% | 4.43% |
| Advance Fee Loan | 1.85% | 2.08% | 1.32% |
BBB encourages consumers to learn how to recognize scams and to avoid them by following these simple steps:
- Don’t believe everything you see. Scammers are professionals at mimicking official seals, fonts and other details. Just because a website, email or Caller ID looks official does not mean that it is.
- Never share personally identifiable information with someone who has contacted you unsolicited, whether it’s over the phone, by email, on social media, even at your front door. This includes banking and credit card information, your birthdate, and Social Security/Social Insurance numbers.
- Use secure and traceable transactions. Avoid paying by wire transfer, prepaid money card, gift card, or other, non-traditional payment methods. Use your credit card whenever possible.
BBB recently launched the Scam Prevention Guide. Visit this site to find helpful tips and videos.
Have additional questions? Reach out to your BBB at 216.241.7678 or [email protected]. Have a scam to report? Report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker.
