In an effort to keep
the public informed, Better Business
Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina offers monthly Scam Alerts:
BBB is warning businesses to
beware of a malicious e-mail that purports to be from BBB about a complaint
filed against the company. The subject line of the e-mail is “Complaint #”
followed by a nine-digit number. Legitimate BBB complaint numbers begin with
110. The body of the e-mail claims that the company has received a
complaint and asks them to respond to the complaint by directing them to a malicious
link shown as our national Web site at http://www.bbb.org, but actually is a disguised
link to a third party Web site. BBB advises any business that receives this
e-mail to not click on any links or reply to the message, and completely delete
the e-mail from your inbox. If you receive an e-mail from BBB about a complaint
filed against your business and need assistance in determining whether or not
it is legitimate, contact BBB at (919) 277-4222.
BBB has been alerted that consumers are receiving calls from scam
artists who claim that there is a virus on the consumer’s computer. The scam
artists tell the consumer that they can fix the virus and requests upfront
payment. Consumers allege that the scam artists use high pressure tactics and
make it difficult for the consumer to end the conversation. BBB reminds
consumers to
never provide any credit card information or other personal
information to an unknown caller.
BBB cautions consumers to beware of a telephone
scam related to overdue payday loans. Consumers are receiving calls from
people alleging to represent agencies, including the FBI and law firms. The
caller claims to be collecting debts from well-known companies, but will not
provide any information about the payday loan. The caller also attempts to instill
fear by threatening the consumer with jail time and legal actions. The Fair
Debt Collection Practices Act prohibits debt collectors from using abusive,
unfair, or deceptive practices to collect from consumers. In addition, the
Constitution prohibits debtors from being jailed because of their inability to
repay debts.
