The Better
Business Bureau has listed the top scams of 2016 at the start of this year. In
2016, the Better Business Bureau scam tracker has provided confirmation that
tax scams are still heading the list. There has been a huge drop in reports in
countries like India. As the new tax season approaches, the BBB keeps a close
watch for top scams in the year. These top scams continue because they are
successful enough to make it worth the money for thieves to con people out of
cash. There is a science to scams, and artful scammers use techniques that
would put a salesman's pitch to shame. Selling dreams, hopes and aspirations,
the pitch of these scammers costs you more than money.
Top Scams in 2016: Better Business Bureau
The top
three scams on the list were tax scams, debt collection scams and
gift/prizes/sweepstakes scams. This is similar to the 2015 list. Now the top
ten include online purchase scams and phishing scams. Among the top scams,
online purchase scams have been rapidly expanding. Employment scams are also
new to the top 10. Work from home scams have been increasing and there has been
a drop of tech support scams as the employment scene across the world changes.
The top scams were compiled based on more than30,000 scam reports filed by clients. BBB has launched an online tracker. Not
all the consumers lost money but many were victimized, according to the BBB:
●
Tax Scams (IRS and CRA)
●
Debt Collections
●
Sweepstakes/Prizes/Gifts
●
Online Purchase
●
Employment
●
Government Grant
●
Tech Support
●
Advance Fee Loan
●
Fake Check/Money Order
●
Phishing
Tax scams
are one of the biggest fraud activities carried out not only in developing
countries, but the developed world as well. A trend seen in Chicago and
Northern Illinois in 2016 was scammers posing as security system or fake
utility workers.
Better
Business Bureau, for over a century, has been helping individuals find
charities, businesses and brands that can be trusted. IN 2015, 172 million
people sought reviews and charity reports on BBB. The Council of Better
Business Bureaus is an umbrella organization for independent business bureaus
all over the Western world.
Tax scams
aside, the new emerging categories of scams included online purchase scams,
because as internet usage expands, the world becomes closer and online
transactions are scrutinized. With the emergence of smartphone usage and the
digital revolution, internet frauds are on the rise. For example, with the
increase in online employment and remote working, employment scams have taken
on a new dimension with work-from-home scams abounding in plenty. As technology
changes and humanity strives to keep pace with it, scammers are also on the
rise. Technology may have solved problems, but it has also created new
problems. Top scams of 2016 emerge from the increasing use of new and innovative
technologies, whereby growing digitization has made the world come closer and
scammers spread their nets wider. Even other types of scams such as lottery
scams have an online dimension to them.
