BBB Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT – Reports to BBB Scam Tracker confirmed that phishing scams were the top scams present in Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT in 2017.
The list was compiled based on more than 960 scam reports filed by consumers in the area on bbb.org/scamtracker, with a total of $217,193 collective dollars lost by victims. Not of all of the consumers that reported these scams lost money, as many recognized the scam before being victimized, but reported them to help warn others.BBB Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT has compiled the top three scams affecting the area in 2017 with information on each scam and how to avoid them this year:
Phishing Scams ??? These scams use emails, calls, and text messages to trick you into giving up your personal information to a con artist. The communication will often mimic what you would receive from a legitimate business, but if you click on a link or fill out a form, you could be providing your information to a scammer.
- 361 reports
- $12,000 lost
You can avoid this scam by being suspicious of unsolicited and unexpected communications, especially if they are generic. Click here for more information.
Online Purchases – Reports of this scam to BBB Scam Tracker state that the consumer purchases clothing from a website, waits a long period of time for the delivery, and finds that the contact information is no longer in service when inquiring about the order.
- 125 reports
- $67,050 lost
You can avoid this scam by only using a credit card when making online purchases and looking out for misspellings. Click here for more information.
Travel/Vacations Scams – BBB has received reports of scammers sending direct mail offers for cruises and trips including lookalike boarding passes and travel checks. Other offers include free airfare and destination vacations by calling a 1-800 number.
- 47 reports
- $2,114 lost
You can avoid this scam by being wary of ???too-good-to-be-true??? offers and never wiring money. Click here for more information.
For more information you can trust, visit us at bbb.org.