PENNSYLVANIA, USA — When people think of victims of scams, they probably think of people 65-years-old or older. However, for the first time, in 2020 people 18-24 lost just as much money as those 65 and over to scams.
The Better Business Bureau says, most of these scams happened online in 2020, with more people spending more time online because of the pandemic people were more at risk than usual.
The people who fell victim to scams told the BBB, they spent more time and purchased more online because of the pandemic. According to BBB, nearly 65 percent of reported scams causing financial loss were online purchase scams.
Here are some of the data and trends regarding last year's scams:
- Pet and PPE related scams spiked during the pandemic.
- Scams using online payment systems also rose, while gift cards, and wire transfers decreased.
- Amazon became the second most impersonated business scam by scammers.
- More than 46,000 scams were reported to the BBB with a median loss of $115.
Some tips to keep you and your finances safe include:
- Avoid clicking links or opening attachments in unsolicited emails.
- Double check your online purchase is secure before checking out. Look for HTTPS in the URL and a small lock icon in the address bar.
- Don't believe everything you see online. The BBB says, scammers are great at mimicking official sites.
- Be careful what you share on social media. Imposters often get information about their targets from their online interactions.