National Consumer Protection Week Highlights BBB Scam Tracker
ZANESVILLE, OH – The first week of March marks National Consumer Protection Week, highlighting the importance of safeguarding consumers against fraud and scams.
According to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker, the overall reported susceptibility to scams increased by 27.8% from 2022 to 2023. However, the overall reported median dollar loss decreased by 41.5%. Last year, investment scams, including those involving cryptocurrency, was the number one riskiest scam with over 80% of victims reporting financial losses. Following closely behind were employment scams and online purchase scams.
“There’s some general advice for all scam types that you want to think about. When you’re working with a business, you always want to make sure that it’s a trustworthy business. You can get on sites like the Better Business Bureau, or other sites to make sure that it is a legitimate business before you make that transaction. Never feel pressured to act immediately. It’s a common scam trick to get you to act before you have the chance to think about it or to do your research,” Central Ohio BBB President, Judy Dollison said.
With tax season in full swing, consumers are urged to be cautious with your personal information, such as your birthday, address, and Social Security number. It’s also important to choose professional tax preparers carefully. Verifying legitimacy can protect against potential tax-related scams and fraud.
“You want a professional, reputable, tax preparer. Someone that would go over your tax return with you and signs as the paid prepare at the bottom of the return. You want to be careful or avoid tax preparers that claim that they can get you a higher refund than other preparers,” Acting Special Agent in Charge for Cincinnati Field Office, Karen Wingerd said.
For more information, or to report a scam on the Scam Tracker, visit the Better Business Bureau website.
