COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — July is Military Consumer Protection month and like all consumers, servicemembers are potential targets for fraudsters.
According to data from the Better Business Bureau, military members, their families, and veterans are especially at risk for online shopping scams.
“The top three riskiest scams in 2021 were online purchases, cryptocurrency, and employment scams,” said LeeAnn Lanigan, director of investigations for the BBB of Central Ohio.
According to the BBB’s online shopping scam report, more than 10% of victims in online purchase scams were members of the military community. Both active-duty military (78.3%) and spouses (75.2%) were more likely to report losing money to these types of scams than non-military consumers (75%).
The BBB says there are multiple reasons for this susceptibility: convenience of cross-country and overseas shipping because military families relocate frequently and many servicemembers are living on their own earning a paycheck for the first time.
President of the BBB of Central Ohio, Judy Dollison, said the best way to avoid falling victim is to arm yourself with knowledge.
“We know that scammers can be very friendly,” Dollison said. “They act like they are on your side. They’re trying to present an opportunity to you that’s too good to pass up.”
But if it looks too good to be true, it…
