Better Business Bureau IDs “The Riskiest 5 Scams” of 2018

So many frauds are occurring these days it’s hard to discern legitimate from larcenous. With cons abounding, the ever-vigilant Better Business Bureau (BBB) cautions consumers to beware in its “The Riskiest 5 Scams” of 2018.

I’m most familiar with scam #1, employment fraud, where swindlers impersonate real companies such as ours, Working Solutions, a leader in contact center outsourcing in the United States and Canada.

Here, job scammers try to deceive applicants with fake work opportunities to steal personal data and their money, as I note in a recent blog. Targeting “most segments of the population,” the BBB ranks this scam at the top, with phony offers of remote work and flexible hours.

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To cut down on this deception, Working Solutions aligns itself with bona fide jobsites, such as FlexJobs, Glassdoor and Race Rat Rebellion.

Our company, in fact, is recognized by FlexJobs among its Top 100 Companies with Remote Jobs in 2019—along with making the prestigious list for the past several years.

The four other riskiest scams, detailed in a Better Business Bureau infographic, include:

Bogus online purchases
Fraudulent check/money orders
Crooked home improvements
Illegitimate advance-fee loans

The piece even aggregates swindles by age and gender, with an overall warning: “Tech-savvy Scammers Work to Con More Victims.” For a geographic breakdown of frauds in your area, check out the BBB Scam Tracker℠, which advises: “Detect. Protect. Report.”

Wherever you live or work, it’s time for everyone to smarten up to not get duped—digitally or otherwise. Best to look before you link.