Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland has released its local Top 10 scams of 2023.
The list was compiled from reports submitted to BBB Scam Tracker by residents of Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Geauga and Ashtabula counties, the release said.
The continued influences of steady inflation and the changing dynamics of the job market have played a large part in how scammers chose to target their victims in 2023.
Top 10 scams
• Phishing and online purchase scams took the top two spots for the third year in a row. Con artists continue to take advantage of the increasing numbers of online shoppers.
• Sweepstakes, lottery and prize scams landed the number three spot. Older consumers often are the victim of phony Publishers Clearinghouse and other bogus come-ons.
• Employment scams moved up to the number four position from last year. This is not surprising since BBB has seen an increase in business imposters and employment scams offering cushy “work from home” opportunities. Scammers pose as long-established companies to offer tempting remote work opportunities.
Victims pay fees or are sent counterfeit checks to buy equipment needed for the position. The BBB also has seen many reports of “Parcel Mule,” or reshipping, scams in the area.
In this scam, consumers are unknowingly aiding money laundering operations by shipping packages. Both of these scams also put victims at risk for identity theft since they also typically expose personally identifiable information, such as Social Security numbers and bank account numbers, to scammers.
• Tech Support Scams rose to the number five spot this year from number six in the previous year. This is in line with other trends BBB has seen concerning consumers spending increasing time online whether it be making online purchases or working at home, in front of a computer.
• Government agency imposters moved up one spot to number seven. Government agency imposters typically take the form of scammers impersonating Medicaid or the Internal Revenue Service, but this year, BBB also has seen reports of government agency imposters using fanciful names such as the Financial Crime Network of the US Treasury, the Corporate Transparency Division, United States Government Debt Relief and the United States Business Regulations Department.
In addition to the typical fake law enforcement agent and Medicare benefit calls consumers typically receive from scammers, they also have reported receiving calls concerning debt relief funds or “lost” sweepstakes winnings from government programs.
• Debt collections, bank/credit card company imposters and government grant imposters continued the list of top scams.
Unsurprisingly, debt relief is weighing heavily on consumer’s minds.
The promise of free money, whether from a sweepstakes or grant, can be a very motivating factor for consumers to disregard normal precautions they may have against scams.
• Advance fee loan scams came in 10th, which is a notable change from previous years’ statistics where they often fell in 12th place in 2022 or 15th place in 2021.
Consumers experiencing the financial crunch of inflation may be especially susceptible to fraud of this nature since debt relief, whether it be in the form of sweepstake winnings, a grant, a government program, or a loan, would be a welcome respite from increasing credit card balances and interest payments.
The Better Business Bureau encourages consumers to learn how to recognize scams and to avoid them by following these simple steps:
• Don’t believe everything you see. Scammers are professionals at mimicking official seals, fonts and other details. Just because a website, email or caller ID looks official, does not mean that it is.
• Never share personally identifiable information with someone who has contacted you unsolicited, whether it’s over the phone, by email, on social media, even at your front door. This includes banking and credit card information, your birthdate and Social Security numbers.
• Use secure and traceable transactions. Avoid paying by wire transfer, prepaid money card, gift card or other, non-traditional payment methods. Use your credit card whenever possible.
The BBB recently launched the Scam Prevention Guide.
If you come across a scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker. Your report can help stop others from becoming a victim of a scam.
