As the countdown begins toward 2016, Better Business Bureau has tallied the year’s top scams with the help of Scam Tracker.
Investigators collected reports from more than 10,000 consumers nationwide and processed the data using a heat map so that users can see what scams are happening in their area.
“Scammers are elusive,” says Tyler Andrew, President and CEO of BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington. “With Scam Tracker, consumers and law enforcement can track fraud in real time and report it so that no one else falls victim.”
The top five scams hitting Washington are:
1. IRS scam. Consumers receive threatening phone calls from someone claiming to be with the IRS. The caller tells the consumer he owes taxes to the government and will be thrown in jail unless he pays. The IRS says they never call people who owe money; instead, they notify debtors via mail.
2. Debt collections. Fake collection agencies call and claim consumers owe credit card debt. They try to gather personal information such as Social Security and bank account numbers.
3. Imposter scam. Like the IRS scam, fraudsters pose as a federal agent or law enforcement and then contact unsuspecting consumers to try and obtain their personal information. If the scammers succeed, they’re able to steal identities and commit fraud.
4. Government grant. Bogus government staffers call to inform consumers they have qualified for a grant, but processing fees must be paid in advance via wire transfer to receive the funds.
5. Tech support. Scammers tell consumers their computers have been hacked and they need to gain access in order to fix it. The scammers end up downloading malware or stealing personal information.
Nationally, BBB Scam Tracker also reported the IRS scam at the top. Phony debt collectors, sweepstakes, tech support and the government grant scam rounded off the top five.
Visit bbb.org for business information and visit Scam Tracker to learn about scams in your area or provide information about a scam.
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