Better Business Bureau Atlantic shares tips to help protect yourself from scams

Crystal Garrett chats with the Better Business Bureau about protecting yourself from scams.

The Better Business Bureau Atlantic is warning people to be aware and do their research as several scams are currently making their way around the region.

Julia Lewis, the president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau in the Atlantic provinces says scams are very prevalent right now.

“We have a few that are still lingering over from 2024 and even from years before that that are still quite prevalent,” she said in an interview with CTV Atlantic’s Crystal Garrett.

Investment, crypto currency, employment, and home improvement scams are the most common scams we are currently seeing says Lewis.

“Investment and crypto currency scams are typically perpetrated through social media. A lot of claims using AI. So there maybe a celebrity endorsement that is actually an AI with the likeness of the celebrity,” says Lewis.

“With employment scams you apply for a job online or through social media. The biggest warning sign is when you get a request from the company to download a messaging app and that’s how they want to conduct the interview.”

Lewis says if you want to know if a business is legitimate, it is important to ask questions and research the company.

“With a legitimate business they’re going to be open to your questions and they’re going to be ok with your hesitation. So if you say to them ‘I actually want to take some time to research’ your company,’ and ‘do you have any references I can reach out to’ they will be open to that,” she said.

If you or someone you know has been scammed and paid a deposit, Lewis says to contact the Better Business Bureau for help.

“If you have encountered a situation where you maybe paid a deposit up front and now the contractor has disappeared, you can get in contact with us. You can file a complaint, and we can try to reach out and contact that business to see if it is an actual scam,” said Lewis.

“We do have a scam tracker tool on our website where you can go and report and then we can also help you with other organizations to reach out to if you need to.”

Lewis said to protect yourself from scams its important to always to your research and protect your information online

“Always do you research and make sure you are always protecting your information online. So set your privacy settings and on your social media and don’t respond to people who aren’t your friends. Be wary of individuals coming to your door looking for money up front. Always approach situations with a level of caution.”