The constant reporting of scams from all angles – phone, email, online, and in person – can make a person nervous to accept anything at face value. Even if all precautions are taken to protect personal data, it can seem like every solicitation is an attempt to steal important information. While being vigilant is important, an overactive sense of unease can cause problems when a legitimate business leaves a message, sends an email, or puts a flyer on the door.
The truth is, not every request is a hidden agenda to do harm or commit a crime. Behind some of these actions, there may be businesses trying to make an effort to learn more about their customers or attempting to familiarize themselves with an area they wish to serve.
For example, a contractor could be hired by a well-known business to make phone calls in a select area code or demographic area. Typically, the purpose of these calls is to find out if customers are happy with their current provider and if they are getting the service they need, as well as a rough estimate of how much they currently pay. This research will help the company determine whether or not the prices for their services are comparable enough to compete with similar businesses in the area.
Having a healthy sense of skepticism and being proactive against scam activity is beneficial in protecting a family’s information. However, the marketing approach of some businesses can seem scam-like, even if their practices are good; the true intent the business was hoping to convey gets lost among poorly planned messages. BBB has resources everyone can use to determine whether or not the company contacting them has a reliable reputation.
Tools like BBB’s Scam Tracker make it easy to see what the results of communication with a certain company were. Scam Tracker gathers data from people in the area who have encountered a scam; it records how they were approached, what the person asked for, and whether or not they lost any money. BBB’s searchable directory is another resource to quickly determine if a company is representing themselves truthfully and if other consumers had a good experience.
The multitude of messages received every day make it difficult to decide the difference between a sincere approach by a business and an attempt to commit a crime by a scammer.
Continue to use the caller ID function on your phone, ensure to latest antivirus software is installed on your computer, and take note of who is soliciting in your neighborhood, but don’t shut out all offers. If a business approaches you with a deal, be cautious, but use bbb.org to check whether or not it’s a scam. BBB Business Profiles are a great way to learn everything you need to know about a business you may want to work with.
Sandra Guile is the Community Outreach Specialist for BBB. She promotes BBB’s message of marketplace ethics through public speaking engagements, presentations, media relations, press releases, web content, and other written materials. Contact Sandra at (513) 639-9126 or sguile@cincinnati.bbb.org. Your BBB is located at 1 East 4th Street Suite 600 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 – to reach the office, call (513) 421-3015.
