Exposed to Scams: What Beliefs About the World are Associated with Fraud Victimization?
This report examines whether the way people view the world is related to scam victimization. We found that viewing opportunity in a zero-sum fashion and believing that the world is unfair is associated with a greater likelihood of scam victimization.
2024 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report
Investment scams, including those involving cryptocurrency, remained the riskiest scam type in 2024, according to a report from the Better Business Bureau. Romance/friendship scams climbed to No. 3 riskiest for the first time since BBB began publishing the report.
Both types of scams involve financial grooming, where the scammer builds a relationship with the victim before perpetrating the scam.
More than 80 percent of people who were targeted by investment/cryptocurrency scams, No. 1 riskiest, reported losing money to BBB Scam Tracker. It also had the second highest median dollar loss at $5,000. Investment scams take many forms, including pressure to purchase, trade, or store digital assets (cryptocurrency) with fraudulent exchanges.
The report includes insights about how scams are perpetrated, who is being targeted, which scams have the greatest impact, and behaviors and factors that may impact an individual’s susceptibility.
Marketplace challenges facing the military community
The BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust (BBB Institute), the Association of Military Banks of America (AMBA), and Zelle® are pleased to present a new report, Marketplace challenges facing the military community. This report highlights the ways in which some of those unique challenges are impacting how military consumers engage in the marketplace.
2023 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report
Investment scams, including those involving cryptocurrency, are now the riskiest scam type, according to the latest BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report. More than 80 percent of people who were targeted by this scam type reported losing money to BBB Scam Tracker. It also had the second highest median dollar loss at $3,800.
Investment scams take many forms, including pressure to purchase, trade, or store digital assets (cryptocurrency) with fraudulent exchanges. Investment and cryptocurrency scams both appeared on the list of ten riskiest scams in 2023. This year, we combined them because most cryptocurrency scams involved some sort of investment opportunity.
The report includes insights about how scams are perpetrated, who is being targeted, which scams have the greatest impact, and behaviors and factors that may impact an individual’s susceptibility.
2023 BBB Scam Tracker Spanish-language Risk Report
El informe incluye información sobre cómo se perpetran las estafas, a quién se dirige, qué estafas tienen el mayor impacto y los comportamientos y factores que pueden afectar la susceptibilidad de una persona.
2023 BBB Scam Tracker Canada Risk Report
The report includes insights about riskiest scam types, who is being targeted, and which scams have the greatest impact. The report is compiled from scam reports submitted to BBB Scam Tracker by Canadian consumers in 2023.
Targeting our youth: How scams are impacting ages 18-24
We know from previous research that scams target people of all ages. However, the ways in which people engage with scammers and how they are impacted by scams can vary across different demographic groups. The BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust’s (BBB Institute) latest research report, Targeting our youth: How scams are impacting ages 18-24, takes a closer look at how this age group is being targeted and how they are impacted by scams.
2022 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report
The report uses data submitted by consumers to BBB Scam Tracker to shed light on how scams are being perpetrated, who is being targeted, which scams have the greatest impact and much more. The BBB Risk Index helps us better understand which scams pose the highest risk by looking at three factors: exposure, susceptibility, and monetary loss.
Download the report infographics:
2022 BBB Scam Tracker Canadian Risk Report
The 2022 Canadian Risk Report provides a breakdown of the riskiest scams impacting Canadians in 2022. The report uses data submitted by consumers to BBB Scam Tracker to shed light on how scams are being perpetrated, who is being targeted, which scams have the greatest impact and much more.
Download the Canadian report infographics:
Start With Trust® Online: The 2022 Online Scams Report
This report analyzes scam types that are perpetrated online to provide new information about which tactics have the biggest impact on consumers and tips on how consumers can protect themselves from online fraud. The report also highlights new findings about online purchase and impersonation scams.
2021 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report
The report uses data submitted by consumers to BBB Scam Tracker to shed light on how scams are being perpetrated, who is being targeted, which scams have the greatest impact and much more. The BBB Risk Index helps us better understand which scams pose the highest risk by looking at three factors: exposure, susceptibility, and monetary loss.
2021 Online Purchase Scams Report
Seeks to better understand the impact of online purchase scams and how people can find trusted online sources to make better buying decisions.
Explores recent employment scam data and how these scams are perpetrated.
Exposed to Scams: Can Challenging Consumers’ Beliefs Protect them from Fraud?
Seeks to better understand the impact of online purchase scams and how people can find trusted online sources to make better buying decisions. Published in partnership with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.
Building Better Together: BBB® Mission and Impact Report
Seeks to measure BBB’s performance in building and advancing a better, more trustworthy marketplace for all. BBB Institute and IABBB used feedback collected from our stakeholders—including partners, businesses, and consumers—to help us track our progress and our impact.
2020 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report
Provides groundbreaking insights built from BBB Scam Tracker data. The Risk Report was the first research report to introduce the Risk Index, a new three-dimensional measure of scam risk based on exposure, susceptibility and monetary loss.
2020 Online Purchase Scams Report
Online purchase Scams have ranked among the riskiest scams for the past three years. Additional research was conducted to better understand how online purchase scams are being perpetrated, who is being targeted, the overall impact of these scams, and how we can help people avoid losing money to them.
The 2019 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report found that employment scams were the riskiest scams for both 2018 and 2019. Additional research was conducted to better understand how employments scams are being perpetrated, who is being targeted, the overall impact of these scams, and how we can help people avoid losing money to them.
This examines the tens of thousands of business complaints and scams reported to the BBB in 2018 by military consumers to analyze service members, veterans, and military families’ unique pain points when engaging with businesses.
Exposed to Scams: What Separates Victims from Non-victims?
To better understand the fraud victimization process and craft better interventions to reduce fraud, BBB Institute collaborated with the FINRA Foundation, Stanford Center on Longevity and Federal Trade Commission to explore the cognitive, behavioral and attitudinal differences between victims and non-victims. Published in partnership with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.
This report examines the riskiest scams impacting consumers in 2019.
In our seminal study, BBB Institute surveyed consumers in the United States and Canada to identify the stereotypes and misperceptions around scam victimization that are a barrier to effective outreach to at-risk populations.
Scams and Your Small Business (2018)
In this 2018 research project with the Council of Better Business Bureaus, we used survey data and Scam Tracker data to provide insights on scams targeting small businesses.
For additional information about specific scam types, check out the reports created by the BBB International Investigations Committee. These scam studies were conducted to give consumers and businesses a more in-depth understanding of how each specific scam works. Specifically, how scammers use social engineering and play on emotions to trick their victims.
About Our Data and Research
Using data submitted to BBB Scam Tracker, we produce research that provides fresh insights into the scam landscape. Our data-driven reports identify the latest tactics used by scammers, include consumer and business education materials, and inform the content of our programs.
- Neutral, non-partisan organization.
- Timely, crowd-sourced data.
- Reports verified by local BBBs before being published.
- Insights translated into consumer education and awareness programs.
- Findings shared with the Federal Trade Commission.
