BBB Warns Of Scams During Pandemic

The only thing that has not changed during the pandemic? Scammers at hard at work, according to Middle Tennessee Better Business Bureau President Robin Householder.

Take, for example, a recent viral social media campaign urging the posting of senior pictures from years past in honor of 2020 high school graduates who will not experience traditional graduation. Householder said that could put you at risk to predatory scams.

“This is scammer heaven because you’re giving them your high school graduation year, the name of your high school, often times the mascot of your high school,” Householder said. “Well those are typically very common security questions tied to your credit card, tied to your banking account, tied to your work login, and so you know, it’s never a good idea.”

Householder said other scams regarding expediting stimulus checks are circulating via text and email. The scams advise you to click an embedded link.

“That link is gonna do one of two things,” Householder said. “It’s gonna download malware to your phone or your computer, or it’s gonna start to collect personal information from you. It allows them to potentially access your private banking account, apply for credit in your name, and if you’re using a business computer, it could potentially attack the company information as well.”

Whether you have fallen victim to a scam, or whether you successfully avoided one, Householder said you need to report it at bbb.org/scamtracker.