By Sandra Guile
Better Business Bureau
Your reputation is everything in business, so when a scammer uses your business name to get people to give them personal information, it can cause major problems. People tend to be wary of a company after a scam, even if the business wasn’t directly involved. To try and minimize the damage, offering advice and support quickly and effectively can restore customers’ trust. There are a few key methods that businesses can use reestablish a good standing.
Disclose what you know
Notify customers of the scam as soon as you become aware of it. Social media sites are great avenues to release information quickly to a large number of people. Make sure your message is released on the company’s official channel and that it’s clearly expressed and easily understood. Remind consumers not to release sensitive information through insecure means — like email, text message, or telephone conversation — and that it’s OK to say no if someone approaches them in person. Official employees will have some form of company ID, so encourage people to ask for it.
Direct customers to experts
There are a number of agencies that report on scam activity, and it’s important for customers to outline what happened so people know what to watch for. Local law enforcement should be the first step, as they may be able to find the scammer and retrieve any money lost. Other organizations have resources to track the scam and to recover from the breach in security.
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
• Federal Trade Commission
• BBB’s Scam Tracker
• IdentityTheft.gov
Also, if your business name was used to perpetuate a scam, you’re a victim too. Make sure to report it. Businesses can also contact BBB’s Business Ethics Specialist, Mallory Pierson, at mpierson@cincinnati.bbb.org or 513-421-3015, to detail any suspicious activity.
Defend your data
Use the situation as an opportunity to review and update your safety measures. Data security isn’t just a one-and-done checklist, and scammers find a lot of their information online. Cyber security threats are ever-evolving, so your defenses need to be nimble too. BBB has tips to Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover from a security breach that you can use as a cyber protection plan.
Your reputation is what you rely on in business, so restoring it is important after a scammer impersonates you. Taking steps to clearly and calmly help customers as much as possible will help you recover quickly. Think positive, they’ll be back before you know it.
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.
