(NEXSTAR) – As technology gets more sophisticated, so do scammers. As bad actors adapt to the times, cryptocurrency scams are becoming a bigger problem, duping Americans out of huge sums, the Better Business Bureau said.
In its annual Scam Tracker report, the BBB said investment and cryptocurrency scams were the “riskiest” type of scam in 2023. Scammers are using people’s general lack of understanding about cryptocurrency to their advantage, the Bureau said, promising huge returns on investment for purchasing Bitcoin.
One victim, who shared her story, said she came upon a cryptocurrency scam while watching a YouTube video about Bitcoin investments. People in the comments said they made money using a trading service, so she reached out to the investment firm.
“Shanell was told to buy Bitcoin through Cash App and send $1,500. Though it stretched her financially, she sent the money. After 10 days, she received a screenshot that showed her account increased to $7,345.56,” the BBB said.
The problems came when she tried to withdraw her earnings. She was told to pay a $700 commission plus an $800 broker’s fee. The broker still wouldn’t give her the so-called earning, demanding another $1,200 in fees. That’s when she realized it was a scam.
The median loss reported for investment and cryptocurrency scams was $3,800.
Another scam growing more prevalent since the pandemic are employment schemes. You may think you’re accepting a job offer, but you’re actually being recruited to help with fraud. That happened to one St. Louis woman whose new “employer” deposited $2,400 into her bank account, then asked her to go purchase $2,400 in gift cards and send them the numbers on the back. Her bank later told her the $2,400 check was fraudulent, and she never heard from her “employer” again.
Employment scams were more likely to target people under 45, while investment and cryptocurrency scams targeted older people, the BBB said. Romance scams were also a growing problem, especially for those over 65.
The 10 riskiest consumer scams in 2023, according to the BBB, were:
- Investment/cryptocurrency
- Employment
- Online purchase
- Home improvement
- Romance
- Advance fee loan
- Phishing/social engineering
- Credit repair/debt relif
- Tech support
- Travel/vacation/timeshare
To determine how “risky” each type of scam was, the BBB looked at a few metrics: how prevalent the scam was last year, how much money victims lost, and how likely victims are to lose money once targeted.
But money isn’t the only thing victims lose to scammers. They also reported losing time, compromising their personal information and risking their credit scores.
To avoid falling victim to scams, the BBB advises people:
- Be cautious when engaging with people you’ve never met
- Avoid making quick decisions when it comes to money, and don’t feel pressured to act quickly
- Don’t click on links or open attachments in unsolicited emails and text messages
- Trust your gut if the offer sounds too good to be true
