Rockford BBB Shares The 10 Riskiest Scams Of 2020

Someone said to me recently "You sure do write a lot about scams and scammers." As I started to explain why, he quickly added "And I appreciate it. There are several you've written about that people I actually know have fallen for."

He's right about my proclivity for writing about the scams working their way through the Rockford area. The reason I try to spread the word is because normal, everyday people are getting ripped off, tricked, and in many cases, absolutely humiliated by scam artists--facts I've learned from Dennis Horton, Director of the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Dennis joins the WROK Morning Show twice a month with the latest in consumer news and tips, along with the very latest news about what scam artists (or, con-men, or grifters, or whatever you want to call that type of criminal) are up to in and around the Rockford area.

The latest bit of information I've gotten from Dennis involves the top ten scams of 2020, along with how risky those particular scams are to be involved with.

I also found it interesting that, according to the BBB, the prime target for scammers used to be older adults, usually in the 65 years-plus category. Not anymore, though. The BBB says that their numbers show the 18-24 year old demographic now "reported the highest median losses ($150) and the highest likelihood of loss (56.6%)."

Where are most of these scams taking place? Well, because of the pandemic forcing people to do more of their shopping and browsing through their device's screen rather than in a brick-and-mortar store, the answer is online.

Let's take a look at the Better Business Bureau's Top Ten Riskiest Scams: