Consumer scams are a serious problem in North America. Last year consumers reported losing over $1.5 billion dollars to scams in more than one million fraud-related complaints, according to the Federal Trade Commission and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Awareness and education are the best tools we have in the fight against fraud. The more information you have, the better you can protect yourself. BBB serving Southern Nevada is pleased to be part of BBB Scam Stopper, a partnership with Western Union – a leader in moving money around the globe – to educate consumers on the common scams con artists use and to share tips on how to detect scams.

BBB Accredited Businesses are encouraged to share this information with employees and customers. Smart people get scammed every day. Many people think they would never fall for a scam but the truth is that fraudsters today are very sophisticated, creative and well-organized. Scammers also offer extremely plausible stories and many have done their research – they often have custom scams based on a victim’s profession or family and can often name details to establish credibility.

BBB works closely with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, providing them with valuable information on potential frauds. We are often the first organization to know about a developing scam, and we issue regular “Scam Alerts” to warn consumers about fraudulent businesses and practices.

When it comes to scams, there are a few simple ways to protect yourself:

-  Don’t ever send cash via money transfer to someone you don’t know personally or haven’t met in person.
-  Never send money for an emergency situation without verifying that it is a real emergency.
-  Never send funds from a check in your account until it officially clears—which can take several days or longer.
-  And remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
 
Visit http://www.bbb.org/scamstopper to learn more and help protect you, your employees and your loved ones from becoming victims of scams.