BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU

The BBB says the best way to avoid tax scams to is file early and watch out for red flags.

On Thursday, the Better Business Bureau serving Western VA released a statement warning Buchanan County flooding victims about people looking to take advantage of those who need help following Tuesday’s storms.

The Better Business Bureau says to be on the look out for scams on Amazon Prime Day

If you are searching for baby formula online, beware of the scams lurking on the web.

As the crisis in eastern Europe continues, you may feel compelled to donate to charities in an effort to help Ukraine, but the Better Business Bureau wants to make sure your money is going to the right places.

The Better Business Bureau is sounding the alarm on three scams you need to know about.

What you should be keeping in mind as you shop online this Cyber Monday.

Tips on how to avoid a scam when looking to donate during a disaster.

There’s still a few weeks left of summer and if you’re planning a last-minute vacation, the Better Business Bureau Serving Western Virginia is warning against vacation rental scams.

The three-day sales tax holiday begins Friday August 6, at 12:01 a.m. and runs through Sunday 11:59 p.m.

With more people keeping an eye out for used cars, now more than ever, the Better Business Bureau warns buyers to do their research whether you buy your car online or in-person.

With Amazon Prime Day just around the corner, the Better Business Bureau is warning shoppers about common scams they may run into.

With the beautiful weather over the last several weeks, many have already gotten started on their home improvement projects, but beware of scammers. Unlike other scams, with home improvement scams you typically get the service, but it isn’t always quality work and can cause more problems than what you were trying to originally fix. It seems like a lot, but Julie Wheeler, president and CEO of BBB Serving Western Virginia said doing the homework on the front end will save you the hassle on the back end. Around this time of year, Wheeler said some contractors, a lot of times roof repair and pavement contractors, go door to door offering to do services with leftover supplies. Home improvement scams are fifth on the BBB’s 2020 list of riskiest scams across the U.S.For 11 tips from the BBB on hiring trustworthy contractors, click here.

Spring cleaning doesn’t just apply to your home, the Better Business Bureau recommends you do some digital cleaning too. April is Digital Spring Cleaning Month. Digital spring cleaning is cleaning up your online presence and protecting yourself from identity theft, credit card fraud and a list of other problems you really don’t want to have. Julie Wheeler, BBB Serving Western Virginia’s president and CEO, recommended people start with apps on their phones and computer. To take your digital spring cleaning up a notch, click here for additional tips.

ROANOKE, Va – As Americans across the country start to receive their third stimulus checks, the Better Business Bureau is warning people to avoid potential scams. Staff says there has been a major influx of scammers hoping to steal personal information since the pandemic started. The Better Business Bureau says you should never pay any money to get your check sooner or give out other incriminating information. “With three different stimulus payments, with all the other programs that have been in place with other concerns of people had that we saw a huge increase in complaints last year if it was almost exclusively pandemic related,” Julie Wheeler President of Better Business Bureau Serving Southwest VA said. The Internal Revenue Service does have a website that can be used to track when your payment is set to be made.

More than 46,000 scams nationwide were reported to the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker in 2020. The BBB scam tracker saw nearly 25% more reports in 2020 compared to 2019. “Locally, the (government agency) imposter scams were number one followed very close to online scams. His regret is finding out about the BBB Scam Tracker after the fact. The FTC found the gift cards scammers ask for the most are Ebay, Google Play, iTunes, Amazon and Target.

Tax filings start Friday, Feb. 12 and the Better Business Bureau recommends you file sooner rather than later. There’s a risk that comes with waiting and the BBB calls it tax identity theft. Someone could use your social security number to file a phony tax return and collect your refund. You won’t know the identity theft happened until you file and the IRS rejects it as a duplicate filing. Another way someone can fall victim to tax identity theft is IRS impersonation scams.

Valentine’s Day is just a few days away, but don’t let it make you vulnerable to scams. With love in the air, Julie Wheeler, president and CEO of Better Business Bureau Serving Western Virginia said people become more vulnerable and the number of romance scams become more popular. Beware of demands by a match to send money . For a look at the BBB’s study on romance scams and the different stages, click here. The BBB advised to keep your guard up for multiple types of flower delivery scams.

Online shopping scams are on the rise as thieves look to take advantage of the increase in people shopping online during the pandemic. Online shopping scams, like the one Black fell for, are on the rise as thieves take advantage of the surge of people flocking to the internet during the pandemic. To lure you onto the sites, scammers pay for ads on Facebook, Google and other websites. So far this year, the FTC has received more than 37,000 reports of online shopping fraud, amounting to $27 million in losses. You can also report the site on the Better Business Bureau and FTC websites, which could help others from being scammed.

ROANOKE, Va. – You may have already seen it in your email or Facebook timeline, but the “Secret Sister Gift Exchange” scam is back. This is an example of an invite to join the Secret Sister Gift Exchange, a pyramid scheme illegal in the U.S. (Copyright 2020 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.) The status welcomes you to join the Secret Sister Gift Exchange where you buy a $10 or more gift and receive 6-36 gifts in return. According to Wheeler, the Secret Sister Gift Exchange scam has been around since 2015 and returns every year during the holidays. You will receive little to no money back on your “investment” or gift exchange.

We’ve seen online shopping takeover during this pandemic and the Better Business Bureau Serving Western Virginia expects holiday shopping won’t be any different. According to the BBB, 80.5% of consumers in 2020 have reported online purchase scams and lost money, up from 24.3% in 2019. With many people new to online shopping Better Business Bureau has a few online safety tips and reminders. The top motivating factor for people who made a purchase, then lost money was price. Small businesses were forced to close starting in March until some as late as June and July.

ROANOKE, Va. – The biggest holiday shopping days are almost here. And that’s probably the biggest risks we see during Cyber Monday and even during the shopping season.”Also, make sure you’re aware of the return policy. If you know you’re not going to be there and make sure you get those packages in a timely fashion.”Another reminder for the holiday shopping season, don’t forget about local businesses. The BBB reminds shoppers to sign up for email alerts, check social media for deals and don’t just shop small, eat small too. For additional holiday shopping tips and reminders, click here.

Holiday shopping deals are popping up earlier and earlier, and that means scammers are on the prowl. Some major retailers have already held their specials typically saved for Black Friday. Local Better Business Bureau leaders said with the shopping period being even more spread out than in past years, people need to be on the lookout for scammers. Wheeler said people should only buy online from trusted sources, know the return policies and when the packages are supposed to be delivered. Copyright 2019 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.

Holiday shopping deals are popping up earlier and earlier, and that means scammers are on the prowl. Some major retailers have already held their specials typically saved for Black Friday. Local Better Business Bureau leaders said with the shopping period being even more spread out than in past years, people need to be on the lookout for scammers. Wheeler said people should only buy online from trusted sources, know the return policies and when the packages are supposed to be delivered. Copyright 2019 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.

The Better Business Bureau is warning of an "unclaimed rewards" scam. The company says scammers promise unclaimed rewards to trick people into providing credit card information. The victims get a postcard, email or social media message saying they have an unclaimed reward at major retailers such as Walmart and Target. On the phone, they're asked to confirm their identify and provide credit card information to pay for mailing costs. Then, the scammers try to use the credit card to buy items.

The Better Business Bureau is warning about an email scam called sextortion. The BBB says the email may also contain personal information about your contacts using information stolen in major security breaches. The scammer will generally demand payment in exchange for not sending embarrassing pictures of you to friends, family or employers. The Bureau says the threat is most likely an empty one and the scammer does not have any images of you. If you receive an email like this, you can report it to the FBI and on the Better Business Bureau's scam tracker website.

ROANOKE, Va. – Thousands of college students have recently arrived on campuses in southwest Virginia, and scammers could be targeting them. The Better Business Bureau has some warnings for students to help them avoid losing money to scams. Wheeler said students shouldn’t ever give out their debit card number to someone else and they shouldn’t share personal information, which is something to watch out for in close spaces like dorms. She said students should be skeptical of credit card offers. She said if students want a credit card, it’s best to work with their parents in their hometown if they haven’t built up their credit.