Next week is National Consumer Protection Week, so we’re tracking all the recent scams. We went to the Better Business Bureau this week and found scam attempts are worse than ever.
We've all gotten a text or email, asking you to click on a link.
"Don't click on that information, what they're doing is downloading malicious malware onto your phone. They could also be trying to get information about your identity," said Christine Hayley, with the Better Business Bureau.
The BBB said specifically, reports of employment scams are increasing.
"Mostly the perpetrators are on Indeed reaching out to individuals looking for a job, offering too good to be true wages," Hayley said. "Just be very cautious when you're looking for a job."
Learn more about the most common scams below:
You can use the tools available to you through the BBB scam tracker. If you are the victim of a scam, file a report so the BBB can investigate.
"Often times we're not able to find the scammer, but we can get the word out to others in the community," said Hayley.
If you think you're being targeted, you can search the scam tracker database to see if similar scams have been reported.
"Reporting is the first step because then we can educate people about some of the newer scams involving crypto, involving artificial intelligence," said Ryan Lippe, with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
Some red flags to look out for:
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- If you're pressured to act quickly, that could be a red flag.
- If you're asked to move or transfer your money to "protect it" — that's a scam.
The Ohio Attorney General's office opened 400 criminal investigations and filed 33 lawsuits that resulted in more than a million dollars being returned to consumers in 2024.
"Last year alone, it's estimated BBB scam tracker helped people avoid losing up to $22 million to scammers," said Jocile Ehrlich, president and CEO of Cincinnati Better Business Bureau.
Now that many of these scams are digital, it can make it more difficult to track down who's behind them. Even if you didn't lose any money, still report it, that way others don't fall victim and you don't waste your money.
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