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BBB has received additional reports that scammers are impersonating the Better Business Bureau and even the FTC via phone calls and emails; some offer lower credit card balances. These scammers are spoofing the BBB's phone numbers. If you are unsure who is contacting you, contact your local Better Business Bureau. See more information below.
An impostor is a person who pretends to be someone else. They may pretend to be someone you know, like a family member, a friend, or someone you feel you know but have not met in person. They may pretend to be working for the government or from a company you trust or a company with which you do business regularly, such as a computer software company.
Impostors are dishonest people who want to steal your money or personal information and will try to do this through a phone call, text message, or email. The phone calls may appear to be a local number, text messages appear to be from real companies, or emails with entirely believable government logos or a familiar business on them.
According to the BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report, impersonation is a very common tactic used by scammers. Impostor scams come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have the same intent: to trick you out of your money and/or personal information.
IMPOSTOR SCAMS & HOW THEY WORK:
- Power/utility scam: Utility company impostors typically call or knock on your door, claiming to be representatives from the local water, electric, or gas company. In the most common scenario, the fraudster will say a payment is overdue, and the utility will be shut off if you don’t pay immediately.
- Phony banking texts/Phishing schemes: You receive a text message allegedly from a bank, alerting you of fraudulent activity on your account. You may or may not have an account at that bank. The con artists might even know your account number. They use a variety of messages and techniques, but the desired outcome is the same. They want you to give them information, the key to your money.
- IRS impostors: There are many ways to tell if a call about tax debt is a fraudulent IRS call. According to the IRS, people with overdue taxes will always receive multiple contacts, including letters and phone calls, from the IRS first. The IRS will also notify taxpayers before sending their accounts to a private collection agency. Be cautious and skeptical if you get a call first and have no idea you owe taxes.
- Emergency scams (also called grandparent scams or family/friend scams): This scheme involves impersonating (also called grandparent scams or family/friend scams): This scheme involves the impersonation of a friend or family member in a fabricated urgent or dire situation. Emergency calls prey on a person’s kindness and willingness to help friends and family. Con artists impersonate their targets’ loved ones, make up an urgent situation, and plead for help and money. Thanks to social media sites, these people can offer plausible stories and incorporate nicknames and real travel plans into the con to convince their targets.
- Favor for a friend scam. This is a version of an emergency scam. However, the scammers are asking for a small favor instead of a major crisis. It can be easy to fall for these cons because the stories are believable and the money amounts are much lower. For example, in this scam, a "friend" needs money for groceries after misplacing their wallet. Just like with an emergency scam, always check directly with your friend before sending any cash.
- Tech support scams: A tech support rep calls you at home and offers to fix a computer bug you haven’t even noticed, or a popup warning appears on your screen instructing you to dial a number for help. In this con, scammers pose as tech support employees of well-known computer companies and hassle victims into paying for their “support.”
- Social media customer service impostors. You message or tag a business on a social media platform regarding a recent purchase or transaction, and you receive a reply from what appears to be a customer service representative from the business. They may reply in the thread, pretending to be the legitimate business, or ask you to direct message them within the social media platform to resolve the issue. Look closer at the account before responding to it - if you see that the account was just recently created, has spelling errors in its posts, and the social media handle doesn't look legitimate, do not direct message the account nor provide any personal or financial information. Go to the business's website and find the official social media handle, or just use the contact information on the site to reach out to the business.
- Better Business Bureau. That’s right, BBB is an often-impersonated company. Many of these scams target small businesses. Scammers call, text, or email to collect unpaid “dues,” promise to lower your credit card balances, or email dangerous links or attachments they claim are related to “complaints." While a BBB office may contact a business for various reasons, you should never give personal or financial information over the phone during an unsolicited call from someone you do not know. End the call or close the email, and call the BBB office through the number listed in the BBB.org Directory.
TIPS TO AVOID IMPOSTOR SCAMS:
- Stay calm. If you receive any of these impostor calls, resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is or how threatening or intimidating the caller sounds.
- Don't reply directly. Don’t respond to the call, text, or email. Instead, call the company or person directly to verify the message that was sent or the phone call received.
- Verify the contact information. Go to the business's website and find the contact information so you can be sure you are dealing with the actual company.
- Go to the source or get help. When in doubt, call a friend, loved one, or your local BBB to ask for a second opinion. Regardless of what is said in the phone conversation, tell someone.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Learn more tips on how to avoid scams by going to BBB.org/ScamTips. If you have been the victim of this or another scam, inform others by filing a report on BBB.org/ScamTracker.
FOR BBB INFORMATION:
Visit BBB.org to look up a business, file a complaint, write a customer review, read tips, follow us on social media, and more.
BBB Serving Canton Region & Greater West Virginia contributed to this article.