Our new research
The 2023 Scam Tracker Risk Report is now available!
Scam Prevention Guide
Learn how to spot scams and more.
Our Impact
BBB Institute continues to expand the reach and impact of its programs, including outreach to those communities who are more susceptible to scams.
BBB Scam Tracker users saved an estimated $24.3 million by avoiding scams.
More than 12,000 subscribers to our newsletters.
628,000 military consumers reached through our Military and Veterans Initiative.
More than 10 million views of BBB Scam Tracker with 307,000 people taking action by reporting a scam.
We work with a network of 94 BBBs across North America to promote better business and empower consumers to foster a trusted marketplace for all.
94,000 participants in more than 500 cities attended Fighting Financial Fraud workshops and events.
Our Programs
BBB Institute develops its programs based on…- Real-time data reported to BBB by consumers and businesses
- Timely BBB research about the latest marketplace challenges
- Critical needs BBBs are witnessing in their communities.
Online Tools & Publications
BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust offers a wide range of free tools and publications for consumers and businesses, such as our Scam Prevention Guide, which helps you gain the knowledge you need to protect yourself, and our Scam Survival Toolkit, which connects you with critical resources if you are impacted by a scam. And there’s much more!
BBB Scam Tracker
BBB Scam Tracker is an online tool that empowers consumers and businesses to report scams, but also to search published reports to spot and avoid them. The information reported to BBB Scam Tracker enables BBB Institute to publish timely research and develop effective consumer education programs that are delivered by the network of BBBs in communities across the U.S. and Canada.
BBB Scam Tracker and the 2023 Scam Tracker Risk Report were featured on CBS Mornings! Watch the segment below.
Funding provided to BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust allows us to sustain and grow our programs and resources.
See what’s new!
Explore our blog to read about the latest happenings at the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust.
Better Business Bureau® is proud to announce that BBB Scam Tracker received an award from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) and ScamAdviser.com as Best Scam Fighting Tool of the Year. “We are incredibly proud of BBB Scam Tracker and grateful for this recognition from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance,” says Melissa Lanning Trumpower, Executive Director of BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust (BBB Institute), the educational foundation of the International Association of Better […]
We are thrilled to welcome Matthew Fehling and Steven Lepper to our BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust Board of Directors! As president and CEO of the BBB Serving the Pacific Southwest, Matthew Fehling leads one of the most active BBBs in the country. He is an innovative thinker who introduced ignite sparked by BBB, a first-of-its-kind business and community […]
Anyone can be defrauded by an employment scam. In this informative video, data shared from the 2022 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report sheds light on how these scams are perpetrated, who is being targeted, and the behaviors and other factors that may influence a person’s susceptibility. A first-hand account of an employment scam is told to demonstrate […]
The BBB Scam Prevention Guide was designed to help consumers and small businesses recognize and avoid online scams and fraud. The Scam Prevention Guide provides an interactive experience to deliver articles, quizzes, research and the exclusive BBB Risk Calculator. Visit www.bbb.org/scam-prevention to learn more. This interactive online guide features multiple ways to learn about scams […]
People ages 18-24 reported losing more money to scams than older age groups, according to a new report published by the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust (BBB Institute), the International Association of Better Business Bureaus’ educational foundation. Targeting our youth: How scams are impacting ages 18-24 highlights scam types, tactics, and trends based on data […]
The BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust (BBB Institute), the educational foundation of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, is pleased to welcome PayPal®, a BBB Accredited Business, as a new member of its Corporate Trust Council. The Council is a coalition of select companies that partner with BBB Institute to foster a trustworthy marketplace […]
Anyone can be defrauded by a romance scam. The information covered in this 30-minute webinar will illuminate a crime the Federal Trade Commission estimates to have resulted in losses of $1.3B in 2022. With data shared from the 2022 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report, viewers will better understand how these scams are perpetrated, who is […]
BBB Institute’s 2022 annual report spotlights the organization’s research and consumer education initiatives. Read the report HERE.
Identity theft affects millions of Americans each year. The FTC received 5.8 million reports in 2021, although the actual number is much higher. The true number is hard to measure since many people do not report, and others may not even know they were impacted. What is identity theft? Identity theft is when a criminal […]
BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust is pleased to welcome Zelle® to our Corporate Trust Council. The Zelle Network® connects more than 1,800 financial institutions of all sizes, enabling consumers and businesses to send digital payments to people and businesses they know and trust with an eligible bank account in the U.S. The Corporate Trust Council […]
BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust launched a new program with six participating BBBs in the U.S. and Canada to validate and spotlight the growing sector of purpose-driven businesses incorporating social impact into their business plans. The BBB4Good program enables purpose-driven businesses to become “BBB4Good Verified” by vetting their social good activities with BBB. BBB4Good builds […]
BBB Institute is excited to announce our newest program seeking to create national partnerships that protect consumers – the BBB Institute Corporate Trust Council. The Corporate Trust Council is a coalition of select companies that have joined with the BBB Institute to foster a trustworthy marketplace by providing their expertise, resources, and funding support. Current […]