Active-Duty Military, Veterans, and Spouses: Research

The annual report analyzes the data that individuals and businesses submit to BBB Scam Tracker℠ as a way to shed light on how scams are perpetrated, who is being targeted, which scams have the greatest impact, and behaviors and factors that may impact a person’s susceptibility

This report builds on BBB’s BBB Scam Tracker℠ Risk Report, an annual research analysis based on tens of thousands of scams reported by consumers and business owners each year via BBB Scam Tracker℠ (BBB.org/ ScamTracker). While these reports have always included a spotlight on military consumers, this is the first time we have taken the opportunity to share an in-depth analysis of the scams and complaints reported by military consumers to the Better Business Bureau® (BBB®)

To better understand how online purchase scams were being perpetrated in the marketplace this report will focus on all scam types that are perpetrated online and provide new information about which tactics have the biggest impact on consumers and to identify new information that can help consumers protect themselves from online fraud. This report also spotlights some of the most common scam tactics used to target consumers online.

This paper covers what researchers learned from in-depth, in-person interviews with 17 people who recounted their experiences with fraud attempts.  This paper describes how mental frames may have made some interviewees more susceptible to fraud. It also describes how mental frames are constructed from what we learn, both in school and in social experiences. Implications for consumer education and prevention programs are also discussed.