BBB Serving Central and Western MA and Northeastern CT: Vanity award scheme targets local businesses

Business owners deserve to be recognized and awarded for their hard work and dedication, but not at the expense of the business owner’s money and time.  A “vanity award” scheme circulating will typically start with an email.  For example, one local business owner located in Northborough, MA, reported to BBB of Central New England that they received an email stating that their business had been “selected as the winner for the 2022 Best of Northborough Awards in the category of Property Management Company”  The email goes on to show a picture of a crystal award with the business’s information on it encouraging the business to invest in this award to display at the business.  These awards range from $149.99 for an award plaque, $199.99 for a crystal award, and $229.98 if you want both the crystal and the plaque. 

This email doesn’t tell you that there was never any contest or judging process, and you haven’t actually “won” any kind of award – it is all fabricated!  They even offer a “press release” for the business to use announcing that the business has won this award, which is nothing more than a bogus press release drafted up by the schemers to make the whole thing seem legitimate.  They state in this press release that “winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Northborough Award Program and data provided by third parties.” This statement is purposefully vague because there is no actual selection process, this just gets sent out to every business they can find that is located in Northborough in hopes that the business will feel special that they have been “selected” and invest in the award. 

Another local business also located in Northborough, MA reported the same email to BBB of Central New England.  The email and information this business received was identical to the other business, but the name of the business and the industry was changed. 

BBB recommends the following tips before paying to receive an award:

• Research the award. Check out the company's BBB Business Profile at BBB.org to ensure that the offer is legitimate.
• Ask specific questions. Learn everything you can about who is giving the award, where they are located, how long the award has existed and how your business was selected as a winner. Organizations that offer legitimate awards will be willing to provide specific details on why they chose your company.
• Know the nomination process. Find out who nominated your business for the award. If you didn't apply for it or the organization cannot tell you how you were nominated, chances are the award is not legitimate.
• Check for payment requirements. Most legitimate awards do not come with costs to the recipient. If there is a fee, scrutinize it closely. If there is a fee for winning or receiving a certificate or plaque, it could be that the person or organization is simply after your money.
• Be wary about clicking on links in emails from strangers. Scammers often hide malware in email links. If you click on one of these links, scammers can gain access to personal information stored on your device. Double check you're dealing with a real business before clicking on a link.

For more information

To report a vanity award scheme, visit our scam tracker at www.bbb.org/scamtracker

To learn how to protect yourself, go to “10 Steps to Avoid Scams."