GREENSBORO, N.C. — Scams happen every day, everywhere. Scammers get more and more creative in finding ways to steal your money and personal information.
Lechelle Yates from the Better Business Bureau joined 2 Wants to Know to let you know about current trends and give you ways to protect yourself.
Yates said cryptocurrency scams have grown more popular. In 2021, the BBB received more than 2,400 reports of that type of fraud. She said losses were in the millions.
Yates said the scams work like this: someone buys bitcoin with a company. The investment grows, and the person wants to withdraw. The company says that person needs to pay a commission, broker fee and then additional money to access their money. Yates said this is a common way scammers trick people.
Yates listed three ways to protect yourself.
- Be careful with claims made on social media.
- Be wary of "friends" reaching out on social media and celebrity endorsements.
- Don't believe promises of guaranteed returns.
Yates said another common scam happens when someone receives a message saying they bought an item like an iPhone, and their account is about to be charged. To rectify that, the consumer is told to call a customer service number and provide their credit card information.
Yates called this a phishing scam. This type of fraud happens often. She said you should also check your bank for charges first; double-check the sender's email address and don't click suspicious links.
Yates said protecting your personal information is one of the best ways to avoid scams. She said you can check to see if your email is compromised here. You can enter your email or phone number and see which websites and companies had a breach, which may put your information at risk.
Another good way to protect your data is shredding old documents. The BBB is hosting a free Shred Day Saturday, April 23 from 9 a.m. - noon. Yates said the event is being hosted at the Whole Foods at the Friendly Center. You're limited to five boxes of documents to shred.