The Better Business Bureau Releases Top Scams of 2018. Read to Prevent Becoming Victim to These Common Scams.
1. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)- Scammers posing as IRS agents claim you owe back taxes and threaten lawsuits and arrest if payment is not sent immediately. Keep in mind, the IRS does not make threatening phone calls, nor do you send payment via unconventional methods such as gift cards or wire transfer.
2. Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes - Winning the sweepstakes, dream vacation, large amounts of money, a new car, shopping spree or new technology sounds great especially if you didn’t enter to win. Unexpected prize and lottery scams rely on your excitement to lure you into paying fees for your prize or and typically require that you provide your personal information with the intent of compromising your identity. Remember, you should never have to pay fees for winning a prize. You will also never win a lottery you never entered.
3. Bogus Online Retailers- You see a highly sought-after item for a discounted price or a puppy too cute for words. You wire the money or pay via pre-paid credit card. The money is gone, you have no items, and the retailer is nowhere to be found. Always use caution when dealing with unfamiliar online retailers. Read reviews at
bbb.org to make sure you are dealing with a business you can trust.
4. Government Grant- Victims receive a phone call, email or letter stating they qualified for a government grant, but to receive the grant you must pay the processing and/or delivery fee via wire transfer or prepaid debit card. Never send money by wire transfer or prepaid debit card to somebody you don’t know or haven’t met in person.
5. Debt Collection-The scammer calls and tells you that they work for a loan company, law firm or government agency, and claims to be collecting an overdue payment. When you reply that you don’t owe money, the “debt collector” starts to make threats of suing you, having your wages garnished, arresting you, or forcing you to appear in court thousands of miles from home. Despite the threats, these "debt collectors" don't have any legal power. In most cases, the alleged overdue loan doesn't even exist. Don't give in and pay money you don't owe. If you do, the scammer will likely be back for more.
6. Tech Support- Consumers are being targeted by fraudsters pretending to be well-known tech support companies. Victims are contacted with a message on their computer that a virus has been detected and to “fix” the problem, a phone number or website is given to purchase an anti-virus computer via debit or credit card. Computer manufacturers will not contact you to let you know if there is a problem with your computer.
7. Phishing/ Smishing- You receive an email or text telling you that you’ve won a contest, a business or someone posing as an official at your place of employment needs to verify your personal information, such as your Social Security number. Never click on links or open attachments from unsolicited emails and never provide personal information without first verifying the source.
8. Employment- Scammers advertise a job opening or guarantee job placement if you pay a fee to cover the cost it takes to place you in a job. However, after you pay, there’s no job and you are out of money. Remember, if a potential employer asks you to pay the company to cover the costs of testing, training or background checks, consider it a red flag.
9. Healthcare Medicaid/Medicare Scam- You are contacted by a government authority who claims they wish to send you a free gift for updating your account information. You soon discover you never received the gift and your identity has been compromised. Never provide personally identifiable information to an unsolicited phone call or email without first verifying the source.
10. Identity theft – consumers reported receiving calls stating their social security number was associated with a crime which involved drugs and murder. Remember not to fall for scam artist fear tactics. They will use extreme measures to gain access to your personally identifiable information and financial information.
