05/27/2026
BBB May Hot Topics
1. A consumer reported an employment scam to BBB that cost them $5,000. They purchased equipment for their new position, believing the company would reimburse them, but both job and company were a scam. BBB warns consumers to research companies first before applying for jobs, and to be wary of any job offers that sound too good to be true.
2. A consumer was almost scammed out of $1,280 by a phony Facebook customer service call center. Facebook and its parent company Meta do not have a generic public phone number for customer service. Meta will never ask users for passwords, payment details, or other sensitive information over phone, text, chat, or email.
3. A scam company called Evercrest Express is the latest reshipping scam to target area consumers. BBB reminds consumers that there are no legitimate work-from-home jobs that involve receiving other people’s mail at your home for inspection purposes.
4. A consumer reported a plant scam to BBB that is similar to the common puppy scam. After ordering a plant through a Facebook ad, the consumer was contacted by the company and informed they needed to pay insurance and agricultural permit fees. The scammer continued to ask for more money, and the consumer did not receive the plant. BBB advises consumers to research companies before purchasing, and demands for additional fees after purchasing are a red flag.
5. Consumers have reported receiving multiple calls a day from a caller stating they are with the Lending Department. This is a phishing scam. Ignore spam phone calls, never give out personal or financial information over the phone unless you know and trust the caller, and block scam numbers on your cell phone.
6. A consumer reported an automated debt collection call that threatened the consumer with the embarrassment of showing up at their place of work to collect on a debt. BBB advises that scam debt collectors will often use fake scare tactics like this. Never give your payment details over the phone to an unsolicited caller, and verify that a debit is legitimate before making any payments.
7. Publisher’s Clearing House scams continue to target consumers in BBB’s service area. As a reminder, the real PCH only notifies its winners by mail, never by phone call or text.
8. Misleading online ads are costing consumers money, with one individual posting that they were charged more than $150 for an “eight items for a penny” deal. BBB advises consumers that if an ad seems too good to be true, or the advertised cost is incredibly cheap, these are red flags.
9. Multiple consumers have complained of subscription-based apps that have high hidden costs and unauthorized charges. BBB advises consumers to regularly monitor credit card and bank statements for unexpected transactions.
10. BBB has seen another surge in online purchase scam reports, with most reports involving victims who pay for an item and never receive it. Always research a company online before making a purchase, and order through the company’s actual website instead of ads on third party sites.
