Did you know?

More than 13.1 millionadults became victims ofIdentity Theft in the USalone in 2013, with total

losses of about $54 milliondollars. Serious forms ofidentity theft happens

more often where acriminal uses a victim'spersonal information to

open new credit cards orother kinds of loans.

Over half of identity theftvictims can trace the theft

to something that wasstolen from their

possession.

Identity theft is anenormous problem, butthere are a number ofsteps you can take tosecure your personal

information. So here's the first rule: If

you don't need it, shred it -responsibly.

Join us on Saturday,

September 20, 2014,from 9am-12pm,

and take advantage ofBBB's Secure Your ID Day,

featuring free, on-siteshredding.

August 2014

IRS Phone Scam ThreatensConsumer with Jail Time

BBB and the IRS is againwarning the public about phonescams that continue to claimvictims across the country.In these scams, thieves makeunsolicited phone calls to theirintended victims. Callersfraudulently claim to be fromthe IRS and demand immediate payment of taxes by aprepaid debit card or wire transfer.

BBB recently heard from an elderly consumer thatreceived such a call. The so-called IRS agent left her avoice mail stating that he needed to talk to her about anIRS matter. The consumer immediately called him back asit was a matter of concern to her, but couldn'tunderstand him due to his thick, foreign accent. She thencalled her daughter and asked her to follow up with him.The agent was very rude and stated that her mother hadan outstanding balance on her taxes and threatened toget her mother arrested if she doesn't pay. She soonenough realize it was a scam and ended the call, but wasvery upset about his hostile and rude phone mannerstowards her and her mother.

According to the IRS scammers use fake names and IRSbadge numbers to identify themselves. They also mightknow the last four digits of your Social Security numberthat will make the initial phone call sound more legit.They use a tactic called spoofing to make the phonenumber appear as if the IRS is calling, and send bogusIRS emails to victims to support their bogus calls. Victims

often hear background noise of other calls that mimics acall site. And lastly they threaten victims with jail time ordriver's license revocation.

This event will be held at:

Neoshred, 895 E Tallmadge Ave,

Akron OH 44310.

Click here for moreinformation.

Fall is approachingfast! It might be agood idea to make

sure your furnace is inorder and your

chimney is clean forthe upcoming winter.

Heating Contractors -Residential

Fireplaces

BBB and IRS reminds you to do the following whenyou get a phone call from someone claiming to befrom the IRS:

If you know you owe taxes or you think you mightowe taxes, call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRSemployees can help you with a payment issue ifyou owe taxes.If you know you don't owe taxes or don't think thatyou owe any taxes, then call and report theincident to the US Treasury Inspector Generalfor Tax Administration at 800-366-4484.If scammers have tried this scam on you, youshould also contact the Federal Trade Commissionand use their "FTC Complaint Assistant" atFTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" to thecomments of your complaint.

IRS encourages you to be vigilant against phone andemail scams that use the IRS as a lure. Visit thegenuine IRS website, IRS.gov, to learn how to reporttax fraud and for more information on what you can doto avoid becoming a victim.

Read the full press release here.

Minors Receiving Cell PhoneSolicitations from Scammers

With children and young adolescents owning cell phones,receiving calls from scammers is definitely a risk. That'snot to say that they shouldn't own them, it's just very

important to be aware of thetypes of calls or texts thatthey might receive. Evenwithout scammers pluggingup the airwaves with theirintent of capitalizing on theuninformed, there are alwaysother predators to worryabout, prank calls, bullying,etc.

Chimney Cleaning

Your BBB takesthe ALS Ice

Bucket Challenge:

The ALS Association,the leading

organization fightingamyotrophic lateral

sclerosis (alsoknown as Lou

Gehrig's disease), isa BBB Accredited

Charity. Learn moreat give.org.

View Here

BBB recently heard of an instance where a parent hadintercepted a phone call on her daughter's phone. Thecall was supposedly from the Law Firm that left amessage to inform her that she had not responded to 2letters regarding a debt. Therefore, she was beingarrested for 2 acts of criminal negligence and needed tocall the number ASAP!

She did, and she talked to caller and informed him that hehad left the message on a minor's phone. To this, heasked her what number he had called. She asked him,"Why do I need to give this to you?" He explained to herso that he can remove her daughter's number from thecalling list. Then, he just abruptly said, "Never mind. I'mkeeping her number on the list," and hung up.

To receive such a call was very alarming and probablyhappens often. Please make sure that your son anddaughter are aware of scams that are out there. At thevery least, have them treat phone calls as they wouldtreat someone coming to the door. If the phone numberand/or person is unfamiliar to them, they should avoid thecall/text altogether and bring it to a parent or caregiver'sattention. Subscribe to our Scam Alerts for moreinformation and tips on current scams.

Get Rich Quick Schemes Move toSocial Media

Money has been tight lately,so a photo of a pile of cashon Instagram with thecaption of an 'Easy MoneyFlipping Scheme' might piqueyour interest. You readfurther that the person whoposted it, boasts about howthey flipped a couple of

hundred dollars into thousands, and they offer to do thesame for you.

The profile behind the post appears to be from a realperson with photos and followers. The account may evenhave dozens of "thank you" comments from satisfied past"investors." You decide to give it a shot, and send him orher a message.

Our News Center Scam Stopper BBB Accredited

Business Directory

Follow us on:

This "investor" tells you that it's easy to get started. Allyou need to do is put $100 or more on a prepaid debitcard from your local convenience store. The greater thevalue, the more money you can make. Then, share thecard number and PIN, and the "investor" will do the rest.Unfortunately, giving out the card number and PIN allowsthe "investor" to withdraw money from the card.Typically, the scammer drains the card and then blocksyou from contacting their social media account.

Tips to Avoid Money Flipping Schemes:

Do a quick search online as victims might haveposted complaints.Be wary of prepaid debit cards. Once you'vegive out the account info, you won't be able to getthe money back.Don't trust your friends' taste online. Theiraccount might have been hacked to share or likeposts like these.If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.Use caution when seeking ways to supplement yourincome.

BBB serving Ashland, Medina, Portage, Richland, Summit and Wayne Counties | 222 West Market Street Akron | OH | 44303

Quick Links: