Better Business Bureau reports top 10 scams of 2015

ARLINGTON, VA (WBTW) – The Better Business Bureau reports more than $1 million was stolen from victims of the top ten reported scams across the country in 2015, and that’s just from those who reported being cheated.

In a December press release, the BBB detailed how the number one most popular con, a tax scam by someone posing as an IRS agent, was reported more by victims than the next three categories put together.

The top ten scams reported to the BBB in 2015 were:

“Three of the top four scams reported to us are those that scare people with threats of arrest, law suits or other frightening actions,” reports Mary E. Power, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. “Scammers are pretending to be government agents, lawyers, debt collectors, police officers. They engage directly with you, so your best bet to avoid being scammed is to stop engaging. Hang up the phone, delete the email, shut the door.”

The BBB gives advice on how to avoid being a con artist’s next victim.

• Don’t be pressured into making fast decisions.
• Take time to research the organization. Check them out on bbb.org, search online, etc.
• Never provide your personal information (address, date-of-birth, banking information, ID numbers) to people you do not know.
• Don’t click on links from unsolicited email or text messages.
• If you are unsure about a call or email that claims to be from your bank, utility company, etc., call the business directly using the number on your bill or credit card.
• Never send money by wire transfer or prepaid debit card to someone you don’t know or haven’t met in person.
• Never send money for an emergency situation unless you can verify the emergency.