Contact:
Lisa Schiller,
Media Relations
Phone: 414- 847- 6055
Fax: 414-302- 0355
lschiller@wisconsin.bbb.org
Milwaukee, Wis. – Online purchase scams are the riskiest scam type targeting military consumers, according to the 2022 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report. July is military consumer month, so BBB shares some tips on recognizing and avoiding online shopping scams.
According to the 2022 Online Scams Report, about 11% of online purchase scams reported to BBB Scam Tracker (between January 1, 2022, and June 20, 2022) came from the military community (active duty, spouses, and veterans). Active-duty military were more likely to report losing money to this type of scam, with 84.5% reporting a monetary loss; this was an increase from a susceptibility of 80.5% in 2021. Active-duty military also reported losing significantly more money ($355) than veterans ($122) and spouses ($126). The reported monetary loss for active-duty military rose 72.3% from a reported median dollar loss of $206 in 2021.
The good news is that there are simple steps you can take to help reduce your risk of online fraud:
Online shopping tips:
If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t shop on price alone. Searching for a low price is why people reported losing money. Many scammers offer deals that seem too good to pass up; however, they may lose money to a counterfeit product or may not even get the product.
Beware of phony sellers. Double-check to make sure the website of the seller is safe. Check the URL for errors/misspellings, and never click on a suspicious link. Does the website have accessible contact information? Read online reviews about the company or website and see what others say.
Don’t pay with gift cards! If someone asks you to pay for something with a gift card, like a Google Play or iTunes card, it’s a scam. No real business or government agency will ever insist you pay them with a gift card. Anyone who demands to be paid with a gift card is a scammer.
Know the seller. If the seller or website seems sketchy, it is wise to avoid it. Instead, buy directly from the source (brand, manufacturer, team, etc.) or through an established shop or authorized reseller.
Protect yourself. When buying or selling on a site that protects buyers and sellers, take advantage of them. If a buyer or seller tries to persuade you to go outside the site’s usual process or payment methods, that’s a big red flag.
If an online scam has targeted you or you wish to learn about common scams in your community, check out the BBB’s Scam Tracker to file a report or read about others’ experiences.
For more tips, visit BBB’s online shopping hub and the military and veteran consumer hub.
For more information
To learn more about BBB’s Military and Veterans Initiative, visit BBB.org/Military.
Go to BBB.org/ScamTracker to report a scam and learn more about other risky scams in our scam news feed.
For an online version click here
For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2021, people turned to BBB more than 200 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 6.3 million businesses and Charity Reports on 25,000 charities, all available for free at BBB.org. There are local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada and Mexico, including BBB Serving Wisconsin which was founded in 1939 and serves the state of Wisconsin.
