Better Business Bureau
Better Business Bureau has been named in 3 documented digital harm incidents. The most common harm domain is Fraud & Financial.
Documented Incidents
375-year-old Florida woman loses $2,400 to Chase Bank and FTC impersonation scam involving gift card fraud
A 75-year-old woman in Manatee County, Florida, lost $2,400 to a scammer who impersonated Chase Bank and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The scam began with a fraudulent email that appeared to be from Chase Bank, claiming an unauthorized Apple Pro charge had occurred. The scammer, posing as a bank representative, instructed her to call a number and then transfer her to a fake FTC line, where she was given a case number and further directions. The scammer then directed her to purchase multiple gift cards from Lowe’s, Walmart, and Winn Dixie, totaling $1,400 in additional losses. After handing over the gift card numbers and PINs, she realized the scam and contacted local media, the FBI, and the real FTC. The FTC reported a 25% increase in fraud losses in 2024, with seniors losing over $2.3 billion to scams.
69-year-old Wisconsin man loses $1,000 to AI-enhanced romance scam via Facebook fan group
A man from West Bend, Wisconsin, became a victim of a celebrity romance scam in which a scammer impersonated Nancy Wilson of the band HEART. His wife, Estrelieta Zirbes, discovered the scam after noticing unusual credit card transactions and found that her husband had sent money to the scammer and expressed deep emotional attachment to someone he had never met in person. Zirbes believes her husband joined a Nancy Wilson fan group on Facebook, which may have led to his targeting. The scammer used AI-enhanced "deep fake" videos and sent hundreds of messages, including requests for money for implausible reasons like docking a jet at West Bend Airport. Zirbes reported the scam to the West Bend Police Department, who noted the difficulty in tracking such international digital scams. The husband may have lost up to $1,000, and Zirbes fears the emotional and financial toll is straining their 19-year marriage.
British Columbia business analyst loses $10,000 to AI-scammer impersonating bank fraud department
A British Columbia business analyst, Michael Campbell, was targeted by a sophisticated AI scam involving a fake call from a bank fraud department. The scam began with an email from Amazon, followed by a phone call claiming fraudulent bank activity. The scammer convinced Campbell to attempt a $10,000 transfer to help "catch" the fraudster, using realistic on-hold music and a bank-like phone number. Campbell eventually went to his bank branch in person and was told the call was a scam. He suspects his voice may have been cloned in a prior call to the bank to initiate the fraud. As a result, Campbell had to change his credit cards and report the incident to a credit agency to prevent further identity misuse.