As 2022 is winding down, your Better Business Bureau (BBB) is sharing a series of tips to help keep your holidays safe and joyful. This time, BBB is sharing a naughty list of the top 12 scams of the holidays that are most likely to catch consumers and donors off guard during this season.
Many of those listed are pushed via emails. BBB has found that those promoted on social media platforms are proving to find the most vulnerable victims. It’s important to exercise caution when coming across social media ads about discounted items, event promotions, job opportunities and donation requests, as well as direct messages from strangers.
If you are asked to make a payment or donation by wire or e-transfer through third parties, by prepaid debit or gift cards, treat these requests as red flags.
1. Misleading social media ads: As you scroll through your social media feed, you often see items for sale from a small business. Sometimes the business even claims to support a charity to try to get you to order, or they offer a free trial. BBB Scam Tracker receives reports of people paying for items that they never receive, getting charged monthly for a free trial they never signed up for or receiving an item that is counterfeit or much different from the one advertised.
The 2021 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report found that online purchase scams were the most common cons reported and the category with the most victims. Do your homework and research the company before ordering….
