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Better Business Bureau names Top Scams of 2017

Posted at 6:11 PM, Mar 06, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-06 20:11:48-05

SALT LAKE CITY – The rankings are in for the top scams of 2017.

As part of Fraud Prevention Month, the Better Business Bureau of Utah released its list of the top scams.

In at number one: online purchases, which includes fake websites, and free trial offers. The most common online purchase scams were related to pets.

“You never get the product and they put you off so you're past that time where your credit card won't dispute the charge,” said Jane Driggs, Pres. Better Business Bureau of Utah.

Tax collection comes in at number two. Someone posing as an IRS agent calls you claiming you owe them money in back taxes and you’ll be arrested if you don’t pay now.

“Consumers really need to think about filing those taxes early so that they're the ones who file on their social security number, not someone else,” said Driggs.

Number 3 is debt collection. A caller threatens legal action for an unpaid debt.

“A legitimate debt collector is going to send you something in writing first. So never just pay over the phone,” said Driggs.

Employment and Identity Theft round out the top 5 list. Don’t fall for a scam asking you to pay a fee to find you a job and beware of identity theft scams.

“They may give you some of that personal information like your birthdate and then hook you in to maybe get the rest of your credit card number.”

If you think scams target older people, think again.

“The risk report shows that the younger you are, the more likely it is that you'll be scammed,” said Driggs.

Even though older people are more likely to fall for phone scams. Driggs says younger people are more likely to fall for online scams.

“Spend the five minutes to make sure that that company you're doing business with is actually a company or that person who is calling you is actually real.”

For tips on how to protect yourself from scams, click here:

https://www.bbb.org/en/us/local-bbb/bbb-serving-utah