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BBB names top ten scams of 2011
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From staff reports
The Better Business Bureau says it investigates thousands of scams every year, "from the latest gimmicks to schemes as old as the hills." Those investigations have produced the BBB's Top Ten Scams of 2011.
"Knowing the top scams for 2011 can help you avoid scams in the New Year, because so many scams are recycled with current issues or buzz words," said Jeannette Kopko, spokesperson for the Dallas branch of the Better Business Bureau, in a release.
The Scam of the Year is a phishing email claiming to be from BBB about a complaint, which can download malicious software that can mine financial accounts. Here are the top scams for 2011 in nine categories, plus the Scam of the Year.
The scam emails, websites and online applications all look very professional, but the job seeker has to fill out a "credit report" or provide bank information for direct deposit. The online forms are nothing more than a way to capture sensitive personal data – Social Security number, bank accounts, etc. – that can easily be used for identity theft. And there's no job either.
Top Sweepstakes and Lottery Scam -- There are many variations, but the bottom line in a sweepstakes or lottery scam is this: You've won a whole lot of money, and in order to claim it you have to send a smaller amount of money.
These scams often use celebrities or other famous names to make their offer seem more genuine. This year's top sweepstakes scam was undoubtedly the email claiming to be from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announcing that the recipient was the winner of $1 million from the popular social media site. If you aren't sure about a sweepstakes, contact the company directly to check it out. But don't waste too much time looking.
Top Social Media Scam -- On the Internet, it's easy to pretend to be someone you are not. With so much information online, a scammer can sound like they know you. There are many ways to use social media for scams, but this year one scam really stands out because it appeals to our natural curiosity and it sounds like it's coming from a friend.
Viral videos claiming to show everything from grisly footage of Osama bin Laden's death to the latest celebrity hijinks have shown up on social media sites, often looking as if they have been shared by a friend. When you click on the link, you are prompted to "upgrade your Flash player," but the file you end up downloading contains a worm that logs into your social media account, sends similar messages to your friends, and searches for your personal data. The next time you see a sensational headline for the latest viral video, resist the urge to peek.
Top Home Improvement Scam -- Always near the top of BBB complaint data are home improvement contractors who often leave your home worse than they found it. Some knock on your door with a story or a deal – like the roofer who says he spotted some missing shingles on your roof, or the paver with some leftover asphalt who can give you a great deal on driveway resealing.
Itinerant contractors move around, keeping a step ahead of the law and angry consumers. The worst are those who move in after a natural disaster, taking advantage of desperate homeowners who need immediate help and may not be as suspicious as they would be under normal circumstances. A large percentage of BBB's Accredited Businesses are home contractors who want to make sure you know they are legitimate, trustworthy and dependable.
Top Check Cashing Scam -- Scammers often use two legitimate companies – Craigslist and Western Union – especially in check cashing scams. Here's how it works: Someone contacts you via a Craigslist posting, maybe for a legitimate reason like buying your old couch or perhaps through a scam like hiring you as a secret shopper. Either way, they send you a check for more than the amount they owe you, and they ask you to deposit it into your bank account and then send them the difference via Western Union. A deposited check takes a couple of days to clear, whereas wired money is gone instantly. When the original check bounces, you are out whatever money you wired ... and you're still stuck with the old couch.
Top Phishing Scam -- "Phishing" is when you receive an email that puts a virus on your computer to hunt for your data, or a suspicious phone call asking for personal information. It's almost impossible to avoid them if you have an email or telephone account.
But the most pernicious phishing scam this year disguised itself as official communication from NACHA – the National Automated Clearing House Association – which facilitates the secure transfer of billions of electronic transactions every year. The email claims one of your transactions did not go through, tempting you to react quickly and click on the link before thinking it through. The link may take you to a fake banking site to "verify" your account information, or it may download malware to infiltrate your computer.
Top Identity Theft Scam -- There are a million ways to steal someone's identity. This one has gotten so prevalent that many hotels are posting warnings in their lobbies.
Here's how it works: You get a call in your hotel room in the middle of the night. It's the front desk clerk, very apologetic, saying the computer has crashed and they need to get your credit card number again, or they must have gotten the number wrong because the transaction won't go through, and could you please read the number back so they can fix the problem? Scammers are counting on you being too sleepy to catch on that the call isn't from the hotel at all, but from someone outside who knows the direct-dial numbers for the guest rooms. By the time morning rolls around and you are clear-headed, your credit card has been on a major shopping spree.
Top Financial Scam -- In challenging economic times, many people are looking for help getting out of debt or hanging on to their home, and almost as many scammers appear to take advantage of desperate situations. Because the federal government announced or expanded several mortgage relief programs this year, all kinds of sound-alike websites have popped up to try to fool consumers into parting with their money. Some sound like a government agency, or even part of BBB or other nonprofit consumer organization. Most ask for an upfront fee to help you deal with your mortgage company or the government (services you could easily do yourself for free), and almost all leave you in more debt than when you started.
Top Sales Scam -- Sales scams are as old as humanity, but the Internet has introduced a whole new way to rip people off.
Penny auctions are very popular because it seems like you can get something useful - cameras, computers, etc. – for way below retail. But you pay a small fee for each bid (usually 50 cents to $1.00) and if you aren't the winner, you lose that bid money. Winners often are not even the top bidder, just the last bidder when time runs out. Although not all penny auction sites are scams, some are being investigated as online gambling. BBB recommends you treat penny auctions the same way you would legal gambling in a casino – know exactly how the bidding works, set a limit for yourself, and be prepared to walk away before you go over that limit.
Scam of the Year -- A malicious email that claims to be from Better Business Bureau is at the top of the list for 2011.
Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people have gotten emails that very much look like an official notice from BBB. The subject line says something like "Complaint Against Your Business," and the instructions tell the recipient to either click on a link or open an attachment to get the details.
Clicking on the link releases a malicious virus that can steal banking information, passwords and other critical pieces of information needed for cyber-theft. BBB is working with security consultants and federal law enforcement to track down the source of these emails, and has already shut down dozens of hijacked websites.
Anyone who has opened an attachment or clicked on a link should run a complete system scan using reputable anti-virus software. If your computer is networked with others, all machines on the network should be scanned, as well.
For information about the Better Business Bureau and the scams it investigates, logon to www.bbb.org/scam.
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