Monthly column on BBB issues and scams.
Nov 05 2019
Con artists are experts at playing to our emotions and scammers can use charitable causes to tug on your heartstrings, so it is important to stay vigilant as you try to do good. Bad actors can try to hook you by misleadingly claiming that they will help particular individuals (like veterans or cancer patients), using …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.50plusmarketplacenews.com/332498/better-business-bureau/tips-learn-avoid-charity-scams
Oct 01 2019
Tell Alexa to play your favorite song. Ask Siri about the weather. Use Google Assistant to turn down the air conditioner. But don’t ask your smart device to look up a phone number, because it may accidentally point you to a scam. The scam works like this. You need the phone number for a company, …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.50plusmarketplacenews.com/329662/better-business-bureau/caution-auto-dial
Sep 03 2019
The recent growth in popularity of DNA testing, as it has become cheap enough to use for reasons other than specialized medical testing, has also led to an explosion of DNA testing scams. The fraud starts with scammers first gathering large amounts of DNA samples. They might do this at events frequented by seniors, such …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.50plusmarketplacenews.com/327438/better-business-bureau/dna-testing-scams-expose-senior-risks
Aug 06 2019
With so many people shopping online, package deliveries are on the rise. Scammers, never missing a beat, are taking advantage of this to fool consumers into giving out their personal information. The scam works like this. You receive a call or an email from someone claiming to be your mail carrier or a parcel delivery …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.50plusmarketplacenews.com/323260/better-business-bureau/beware-package-delivery-scams
Jul 02 2019
According to the 2018 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report, seniors are less likely to fall for scams overall, but there is one scam that’s aimed right at seniors: free medical equipment. The scam works like this. You get a call saying you quality for a back brace or a knee brace, totally paid for by …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.50plusmarketplacenews.com/321526/better-business-bureau/beware-medical-equipment-scams
Jun 04 2019
Research shows that 8 in 10 Americans shop online, and the dominance of online retail means nearly anything can be bought online, sometimes at discounts that seem too good to be true. Nearly anything available online can be counterfeited, and research also shows that 1 in 4 people have bought something online that was counterfeit. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.50plusmarketplacenews.com/317332/better-business-bureau/counterfeit-products-online-retail
May 07 2019
A version of the family/friend emergency scam is spreading, upping the urgency while making it easier to disguise the scammer. The family/friend emergency scam, which also used to be called the “grandparent” scam, involves a scammer posing as a friend or family member who is in some trouble, such as being arrested or losing documents …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.50plusmarketplacenews.com/316126/better-business-bureau/kidnapping-scam-variation-family-friend-emergency
Apr 09 2019
Last month, BBB released the annual Scam Tracker Risk Report and scams related to employment ranked #1. The report is based on data supplied by consumers to BBB Scam TrackerSM (BBB. org/ScamTracker) and is based on the BBB Risk Index, a unique algorithm that calculates exposure, susceptibility, and monetary loss to offer a more accurate …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.50plusmarketplacenews.com/314858/better-business-bureau/bbb-releases-scam-tracker-risk-report
Mar 05 2019
Last month, Better Business Bureau issued an in-depth investigative study on romance scams. As detailed in the study, romance scammers typically contact their victims through dating websites, apps or social media, often using fake profiles and event stolen credit card information. Using these false identities, scammers may spend months grooming their victims, building what the …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.50plusmarketplacenews.com/310160/better-business-bureau/learn-romance-scams-lead-fraud
Feb 05 2019
The New Year means the start of tax season. Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission is warning people to be on the lookout for suspicious calls that claim to be from the Social Security Administration. Scammers are ramping up their efforts to steal Social Security numbers to use in filing fraudulent tax returns. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.50plusmarketplacenews.com/308567/better-business-bureau/beware-callers-pose-social-security-steal-ssn
Jan 01 2019
The internet is rife with ads and links leading to pictures of celebrities and “miracle” products that promise easy weight loss, whiter teeth or disappearing wrinkles. You may be enticed to try these products through a “risk-free” trial: Just enter your name, address and credit card number, and the product will be on its way …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.50plusmarketplacenews.com/307177/better-business-bureau/bbb-study-shows-free-trial-offers-mislead-consumers
Dec 04 2018
Santa isn’t the only one keeping track of who is naughty and who is nice! Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to beware of these common holiday scams: Be cautious shopping online. Because many retailers now have chip card readers, fraud at bricks-and-mortar stores is down, so scammers have shifted their efforts online. Use a …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.50plusmarketplacenews.com/306468/better-business-bureau/avoid-holiday-scams
