Leading Consumer Group Warns of Disturbing Trends

Imposter, Romance and Payday Loan Scams Show Staggering Increases

krmg.com

(LAKE OSWEGO) - Whether it’s someone posing as a relative in need or a desperate lover in distress, imposter scam complaint numbers continue to climb. In 2013, the Consumer Sentinel Network collected more than two million consumer complaints from the Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureaus and many other agencies to create its Data Book. The annual publication analyzes patterns in complaints to aid consumer advocates and law enforcement agencies in protecting Americans.

Imposter scams take on many different forms and can lead to identity theft and major financial problems; the 2013 Data Book reveals some disturbing trends:

• “Imposter: Business” complaints jumped 4,415 percent since 2011.
• “Imposter: Romance” complaints climbed by 321,333 percent since 2011.
• “Lending: Payday Loan” complaints increased by 3,951 percent since 2011.

Number of complaints by year; source: 2013 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book

BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington has previously issued warnings about these topics to protect local communities:

• Avoid business imposter scams by Being Mindful of Masqueraders.
• Avoid romance scams by not Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.
• Avoid payday loan problems with What You Need to Know About Payday Loans.

The best line of defense in protecting identities and avoiding scams is being proactive. Whether it’s securely destroying unneeded documents at a BBB Secure Your ID Day or following BBB on Facebook and Twitter, visit bbb.org and take steps to avoid becoming a statistic in next year’s Data Book.

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Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington is one of 113 in North America and the largest BBB by geographical service area. BBB is a neutral not-for-profit public reporting agency committed to trust in the marketplace. For more information on ethical business standards and BBB Accreditation, or to access free BBB Business Reviews, Charity Reviews, scam alerts or find local event information, contact BBB or visit bbb.org.