Scam studies

Virtual shipper and escrow scams are growing as demand increases for online vehicle purchases.

Gift card payment scams: Why do scammers love gift cards so much? Advice for consumers on how to avoid being scammed. 

BBB® study finds some companies fail to deliver on big promises.

This BBB study finds job scams increased during pandemic and warns job seekers to verify employment offers to avoid illegal jobs, identity theft and bogus fees.

BBB study finds high pressure sales, deceptive exit schemes and impostor scams throw shade on popular industry.

In the current digital age, it is no surprise that the first step in many people’s search for a new pet begins with the internet. Alas, even the most careful online search is likely to put a consumer in contact with a potential thief.

A BBB study finds pandemic and global supply chain crises, along with lax social commerce shopping platforms, opens the door for scammers in China to steal from desperate online shoppers.

BBB study finds lack of regulation and consumer education results in dramatic increase in fraud and financial losses.

BBB study finds uneven laws and stolen data allow predatory payday loan companies and scammers to thrive.

Sweepstakes, lottery and prize scams are among the most serious and pervasive frauds operating today. Scammers use social media channels as a main way of targeting their victims,and also mail, email , cold calls and internet pop-ups.

Government scams have become more diverse and more sophisticated. Scammers pose as CDC officials, IRS reps, and contact tracers.

Movers price gouge, take belongings hostage, and destroy goods.

An in-depth investigative study by Better Business Bureau, (BBB) finds that fraud is widespread in the online rental home and vacation rental market, with 43% of online shoppers encountering a fake listing and more than 5 million consumers losing money to such scams.

If your boss sends you an email, would you ignore it? Scammers know you probably won't, and that has helped them bilk businesses and other organizations out of $3 billion since 2016 through email scams and attempt another $23 billion.

Romance scam victims may be male or female, young or old, straight or gay. The common denominator for victims is that they believe in true love, and they believe they have found it.

Growing numbers of people are being victimized by networks of thieves posing as skilled computer technicians who operate from the shadows, using sophisticated advertising and carefully crafted sales techniques to scare consumers into buying phony fixes for their home and business computers.

If someone calls and asks for money, you might be skeptical. But what if the person sends you a check in advance, you cash the check, and your bank tells you that money is in your account? Sounds like a safe deal, especially if it is a cashier's check, which is as good as gold. Right? Wrong.

You’ve seen them on the internet: ads or links leading to pictures of celebrities and products that sound intriguing. The ads claim these “miracle” products will help you lose weight easily, combat wrinkles or whiten teeth. Often, fraudulent operations involved with these types of ads employ the latest internet marketing techniques and professional looking websites.

Better Business Bureau has received thousands of complaints from people who have shopped for goods online and received counterfeits instead of what they ordered. Sales of counterfeit goods have exploded worldwide in recent years, and many of them pose significant health and safety risks.

Online dating sites report a surge in activity in the days before Valentine’s Day, as many singles use technology to find a match. Behind many dating profiles lurk scammers who are ready to dupe users into believing they have found love. In reality, romance fraudsters want to steal their money or make them unwitting accomplices in fraud.