BBB reports online and employment scams are spiking

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Online purchase scams comprised 31.9% of all scams reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2022, with 74.0% reporting money loss.

“Employment scams, which peaked at #1 on our list in 2019, are seeing a resurgence,” said Melissa Lanning Trumpower, executive director of the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, which produced the 2022 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report.

“This is a high-touch scam in which perpetrators spend more time with their targets in the hope of stealing more money from each target. Employment scams tied for the highest median dollar loss of all scam types,” Trumpower continues.

More people reported losing money when targeted by websites, social media, and email than other contact methods. Those who were targeted in person reported losing the most significant amount of money ($715), followed by text messages ($579) and over-the-phone ($550). Scams perpetrated by text messages increased by 39.6%, up from 9.1% in 2021 to 12.7% in 2022.

For more information regarding the 2022′s BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report, visit BBBMarketplaceTrust.org/RiskReport. To report a scam, visit BBB.org/ScamTracker, and to stay keen on all things risky scams, visit BBB.org/ScamTips.