Tactics used by scammers have shifted drastically during the past several years, according to a new report published by the Better Business Bureau. During the same period, scams perpetrated via phone dropped 42 percent.
Released this week, Start With Trust® Online: BBB Online Scams Report, is based on two sets of data. The BBB analyzed data from more than 300,000 reports submitted to BBB Scam TrackerSM between 2015 and 2022, and conducted survey research in July 2022.
“The methods scammers use to target consumers have shifted significantly since BBB began collecting scam reports from the public in 2015,” said Melissa Lanning Trumpower, executive director of the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust.
Leading into the holiday season, this report aims to bring awareness to consumers about the prevalence of scams in today’s digital world.
All scam types perpetrated online
So far in 2022, scams perpetrated online are more prevalent (55 percent) than other delivery methods, with a higher percentage of people losing money when targeted (75 percent). When breaking out scams perpetrated via phone with a monetary loss, scams perpetrated via text message rose from 11 percent in 2015 to 30 percent in 2022. Scams perpetrated via text had a median dollar loss of $800 in 2022, higher than other reported means of contact. Text message was the most-reported offline method used to push people online.
The scam type with a monetary loss most often reported was online purchase scams (89…
