GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It's the final days of December— which means it's time to look back at 2022— and this time the Better Business Bureau hopes their year-end review can help make 2023 a little easier on all of us.
Better Business Bureau's Top 3 Scams of 2022
Coming in at #1 for the second year in a row: Online Purchase Scams.
According to their research, 25% of BBB Scam Tracker users reported being targeted while using social media, making this the riskiest place to shop from.
It often starts with what looks like a legitimate product or site, but you find yourself redirected to a third-party and suddenly you're knee-deep in scam territory.
Next up; Employment Scams.
This is just low, guys. You're looking for a job, trying to improve yourself or your financial situation— only to find out the whole thing is fake.
Things to look out for: job offers with no interview or face-to-face contact— even worse, if the 'recruiter' or 'company rep' reach out to you without prompting— also too-good-to-be-true pay, or package-forwarding services. Look out for places that want you to do something sketchy like distribute money using your own bank account or send them gift cards.
Sometimes these scammers will use information and links from a legitimate company. This businesses are victims, too. Make sure you double check with the company that a position is open and everything matches if something doesn't feel quite right.
And last, but not least... it's just that this article is only about the top 3 scams— Phishing Scams!
Let's be honest— this type of scam has been around for a LONG TIME. Scammers call, email, or text to trick you into believing your taxes weren't done right, you owe some kind of fee, the political party you most agree with needs funding, or your medical bills are so far past due they're sending the police.
No. They're not.
Don't answer, don't click on any links, don't call any unknown numbers back, and don't give out any personal information. Not even your age or the spelling of your name.
Neither the IRS nor any other government agency is going to call or text you. They like paper trails. And if the police are coming for you, they tend to want that to be a surprise.
All sarcasm aside— these are more than nuisances for millions of Americans, but you can protect yourself with a little diligence. You can even protect others by spreading what you know. Talk about scams you've seen or ones that have targeted you so your loved ones have that information the next time they're faced with a scam situation. And talk to the older members of your family— they're often the most vulnerable as technologies change.
