Avoid the biggest scams of the year

“Free trial” offers for supplements, stimulus/government grant scams, and so-called “robocalls” urging people to renew an expired auto warranty or reduce their credit card interest rates led the Better Business Bureau’s list of the Top 10 Scams and Rip-Offs of 2009.

“Not surprisingly, many scams sought to take advantage of people who were suffering under tough economic circumstances — such as the unemployed,” the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau wrote in a news release.

The other leading scams for the year were:

• Lottery/sweepstakes scams
• Job hunter scams
• Google work-from-home scam
• Mortgage foreclosure rescue/debt assistance
• Mystery shopping
• Over-payment scams
• Phishing emails/H1N1 scam

To read more about each of these scams, or to report being a victim of a scam, see the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau web site, www.wisconsin.bbb.org, or the national site, www.bbb.org.

Print PDF