CLEVELAND — Scammers are everywhere targeting Northeast Ohio. That’s one of the big reasons why every year there’s a special focus by News 5 Investigators and consumer agencies to help you. It’s a culmination of efforts during Consumer Protection Week.
From fake websites to police imposters, it’s been a swarming season for scammers. The Federal Trade Commission reported record high romance scams happening in 2021. Local women were being asked to pay for all kinds of things.
“His car wasn’t doing well. It needed a new fan belt,” said one Clevelander who said she was roped into a suspicious relationship.
‘TAKE A BREATH’ ADVICE
“Everyone just needs to take a breath and do some research,” said Ericka Dilworth from the Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland. She said consumers need to check on everything these days and be careful of someone who says you have to act right away. “(Criminals) try to put that pressure on…’Limited Time Offer,’ or they try to pull at your heartstrings with a puppy scam or a charity scam,” said Dilworth.
This past year, we even saw scammers target a Cleveland woman who was just looking for her lost dog. One of her credit accounts was eventually hacked.
“(We) need to think about that carefully, what you’re putting out and who’s getting access to that information,” she told us.
She was contacted by text, and just this week a new round of text messages were sent to Northeast Ohioans, claiming bank accounts were…
