Losses in Sweepstakes and Lottery Scams Surge 35%

June 10, 2021

Rockford, IL – June 10, 2021 – Sweepstakes and lottery scams resulted in higher financial losses during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the previous three years, according to new research from Better Business Bureau® (BBB). BBB warns consumers never to pay money to claim a prize. If anyone asks for money before delivering a prize, it is likely a scam.
 
The research is an update of BBB’s 2018 in-depth investigative study, Sweepstakes, Lottery and Prize Scams: A Better Business Bureau Study of How “Winners” Lose Millions Through an Evolving Fraud. Since the study’s publication, there has been a 16% decrease in complaints to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). However, financial losses reported to all three agencies rose dramatically in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic, with FTC logging an increase of more than 35% in reported dollar losses. The updated research highlights how these scams work and the importance of educating consumers, particularly those who may be susceptible to a specific scam.
 

6 Reasons to Switch to eStatements

June 8, 2021

Are you constantly dealing with a barrage of junk mail that clogs up your mailbox? Drowning in papers needing sifted through? Are you always afraid to throw out any paper from your financial institution, fearful that you’ll be throwing sensitive material into the trash and making it an easy steal for would-be scammers? If this sounds familiar, you may benefit from switching to electronic account statements. Read more.

Don’t Share your Grad Photo Online

June 4, 2021

Congrats — you did it! Whether you’re graduating high school, college or graduate school, there’s lots to celebrate. You’ve worked hard to earn your diploma or degree, spending years studying for exams, keeping up with your coursework to reach the goal you’ve now accomplished. Now that the finish line is finally within reach, all you want to do is talk about your graduation and celebrate this milestone. So, when a bunch of your friends are sharing their senior photos and joining graduation contests on Facebook, Instagram or other social media platforms, you may think it’s harmless to do the same. Unfortunately, though, posting a senior portrait with your graduation year and the name of your school on a public platform can lead you right into a scam. Here’s what you need to know about grad photo scams and how to play it safe.