Watch out for these top scams

It’s National Consumer Protection Week.

To help you be an alert, informed consumer, the Better Business Bureau is offering information on the hottest scams being used to bilk consumers as part of its consumer week educational efforts:

Learn more about the biggest scams of 2011 – Did Facebook try to give you $1 million? Did you see the video of Osama bin Laden’s death? Did you get a middle-of-the-night call from the hotel front desk? These all were on the BBB’s Top Ten Scams of 2011 list.

Scammers also were at work on tricking consumers about job offers, sweepstakes and lotteries, social media and dating, home improvements, check cashing, e-mail offers, sales, mortgages, and investments.

Know Your Scam: Your Guide to Outsmarting the Top Scams – Here are the top categories of scams the BBB hears about, and what you can do to protect yourself. 

You can sign up to get the BBB’s Scam Alerts by e-mail.

It’s also important to file a complaint with the BBB and/or an agency when you’ve been scammed 

• Better Business Bureau

• Attorney General’s Office in your state

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

• Federal Trade Commission – The commission doesn’t resolve individual consumer complaints.

Be sure to be alert, and avoid scams in 2013.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist