PRESS RELEASE
More than 30,000 scams were reported to Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker in 2016, with 151 reported in Alaska
Tax Collection fraud topped the list as the most reported scam in the last year.
The following list is based on scams reported by consumers on bbb.org/scamtracker, a free interactive online tool launched in 2015 by the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust. Not all consumers lost money, as many recognized the scam before being victimized but reported it anyway to help warn others.
2016 Top Scams in Alaska:
• Tax Collection: 33
• Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes: 27
• Online Purchase: 17
• Other: 12
• Employment: 11
• Debt Collections: 10
• Tech Support: 6
• Credit Cards: 5
• Spyware/Adware/Malware: 4
• Fake Invoice: 3
• Identity Theft: 3
The ‘Other’ group refers to scams that were not listed as a given category on Scam Tracker. Across BBB serving the northwest’s territory, there were more than 2,100 scams reported in 2016. Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a scam should contact their local law enforcement and report it to BBB Scam Tracker at bbb.org/scamtracker.
