PEORIA Ill. (WMBD) — A new study from the Better Business Bureau shows online scams are up 87% since 2015.
The study shows most people who fall victim to an online scam were attempting to make a purchase online.
The best advice is to be able to spot the red flags from scammers pretending to be businesses.
Some things to look out for include:
- Grammatical errors
- A secure network when entering credit card numbers
- Frustrated marketers (over the phone)
Better Business Bureau President Jessica Tharp said these scam artists can even imitate big brand names like Walmart, Amazon, and Apple.
“You might produce more information about yourself or your accounts than you would normally do because you think it’s a brand or a company that you are familiar with that you trust,” said Tharp.
If you are unsure about a company or business, the Better Business Bureau can confirm the legitimization of a company.
