Fighting Fraud
By Better Business Bureau® Serving Greater Cleveland
Better Business Bureau® Serving Greater Cleveland (BBB®) has released its Top Ten Scams of 2021. The list was compiled on reports submitted to BBB Scam TrackerSM by local consumers. While COVID-19 related scams did not make the Top 10 List this year, the influences of the pandemic affected the proliferation and types of scams BBB saw in 2021. For example, reports citing Identity Theft (#9) increased dramatically from last year, primarily due to unemployment fraud during the 2021 tax season. Scammers took advantage of increased unemployment due to COVID-19 closures and job losses to collect benefits in the names of unsuspecting victims.
Phishing (#1) and Online Purchase Scams (#2) took the first and second spots on BBB’s 2021 list, respectively. Not surprising, considering the spike in online shopping, supply chain and labor shortages, and the growth of social media advertising. Scammers have taken advantage of these factors to launch phishing scams and deceptive websites. BBB saw this in the continued popularity of pet scams and fake breeder sites used to lure consumers as they looked for new furry friends to add to their families during quarantine. For example, online pet scams were prevalent again this year as some consumers opted to utilize their time spent in quarantine to obtain a new member of the family. Scammers were also widely reported to pose as Amazon and Apple representatives in phishing attempts.
Government Agency Imposters (#4), Tech Support (#5), and Sweepstakes, Lottery & Prizes (#3) have remained steady from their position in 2020. Debt Collection (#7) scams have increased two slots from their 2020 position, while reports of Employment Scams (#8) fell from the #6 position in the previous year.
Fake Check/Money Order (#10) scams usually also accompany an increased volume of employment scam reports since scammers will pass off bad checks to “pay” their victims for fake car wrap or mystery shopping gigs.
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 Called 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, or 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.
If you come across a scam, report it to BBB Scam TrackerSM. Your report can help stop others from becoming a victim of a scam. Questions? Reach out to your BBB at 216.413.5232 or email [email protected]. Have a scam to report?. For more news and tips visit BBB.org.
