This March 4 - 10 marks the 20th anniversary of National Consumer Protection Week. It's a campaign that Better Business Bureau finds valuable every year.
"It's a coordinated campaign designed to help the public understand their consumer rights and the best way to make informed decisions regarding their personal security. Better Business Bureau is one of several entities and agencies that work together to highlight consumer protection during the week," said BBB's Veronica Craker.
Craker says in 2017, there were more than 45,000 scams reported to BBB’s Scam Tracker in the U.S. In Idaho there were nearly 1,000 scams.
"Phishing scams were the most reported, but it was the sweepstakes and lottery scams where consumers lost the most money. Idaho victims reported losing more than $600,000 to scammers in Idaho. Of course, at BBB, we call scam victims heroes for having the courage to report the scam," Craker added.
According to BBB, some victims do not report scams because they feel ashamed or embarrassed that they were tricked.
"Anyone who believes they’ve been the target or victim of a scam should report it. Don’t be embarrassed about sharing your story. We wouldn't be able to educate and inform the public about these schemes if it wasn't for the victims speaking up. So, that’s why we call them heroes," Craker said.
Everyone is invited to share their story by reporting it to law enforcement and BBB’s Scam Tracker. You can learn more by following the conversation online and using the hashtag #NCPW2018 and #BBB.
