BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving has already come and gone as well as Black Friday and small business Saturday. BUT with cyber Monday today, and giving Tuesday tomorrow…we need to stay “shopper smart”!

This time of year are highly anticipated opportunities for scammers to cash in on your holiday generosity! BBB has some tips to shop safe and shop smart this holiday season.

If you are on Medicare, it’s time to shop for your 2023 coverage. Medicare Open Enrollment runs through December 7, 2022.

Beware of health care cons during open enrollment. Medicare scams are on the rise!

Scammers often use deceptive tactics to lure unsuspecting seniors into sharing their Medicare number. They might offer to send free medical supplies or genetic testing kits, or promote some other type of refund or incentive. These types of health-care fraud schemes, which cost the U.S. government tens of billions of dollars in annual losses, are especially troubling because they prey on older people.

Have you received an email saying your personal info is for sale on the dark web? That’s what some people have been reporting!

People are saying that they have received emails warning them that their sensitive personal information is being sold on the dark web. Some of the emails actually list the stolen information, like all or part of the person’s Social Security number, date of birth, and driver’s license number. If you receive one of these emails, you need to take some steps to help protect yourself against financial loss from identity theft.

BBB President Nancy Cahalen talks Targeted Fake Check & Car Wrap Scams

BBB Marketing Director Gary Hunter warned us about locksmith scams. In these locksmith scams these con artists set up toll free numbers for a number of different “businesses” operating 24/7 and how people in distress call one of these numbers and get serviced by someone who is really just out to get as much money as they can.

The Biden Administration recently announced that the federal government will cancel up to $20,000 of federal student loans per person. Millions of Americans will be recipients of the student loan debt relief; unfortunately, this creates an excellent opportunity for...

With the cost of groceries, housing, and many other things continuing to rise, everyone is looking for ways to cut costs.
People are worried about high prices impacting their budgets. And scammers are taking notice. Scammers may zero in on consumer anxiety over money in several ways and Nancy Cahalen from the BBB tells us about those scams and how we can protect ourselves.

Nancy Cahalen talks to us about the mission of the Better Business Bureau and how to become a member.

Students will be returning to campus in another week or two. Scammers target young people in several ways, and many of these tactics take advantage of the activities that go hand-in-hand with students heading off to college—such as looking for an apartment, signing up for utilities, or getting a new credit card. So before you pack up your college freshman—or even your senior—make sure they are wise to these common college scams.

Airfare Scams. With many people getting back to traveling again this summer and the combination of airline staffing issues and the high cost of travel, it’s ripe for scammers. Gary Hunter, Director of Marketing and Communications gives us the heads up.