Courtesy of the Better Business Bureau
HYANNIS – As the coronavirus pandemic continues, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning residents about the presence of scammers.
The BBB considers the COVID-19 outbreak as a “perfect storm” for scammers, as research from the BBB found that people are more likely to be scammed out of money when they’re isolated physically or socially, engaging online, and financially vulnerable.
All three of these factors, they said, have grown drastically over the past few weeks due to the novel coronavirus.
Many people across the nation are searching for jobs during the pandemic, which is worth noting since the BBB’s research has determined that 9.3% of all scams in 2019 related to employment. The median dollar loss in these scams was $1,500.
In response, the BBB is advising residents to reach out to friends, along with trustworthy companies and organizations, for advice. Isolation is used by scammers to take advantage of victims, they said, so communicating with more people that can be trusted helps.
People should also research the company or person they are engaging with before clicking on a link or sharing personal information through the web. The BBB reported that those who were contacted through online mediums in 2019 were far more likely to report that they lost money.
If job offers are too good to be true, the bureau explained, they likely are.
For more information from the BBB, visit their website by clicking here.
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