Why can BBB stop rip-offs and scams?
Many times, BBBs do. Although we do not have legal and policing powers, we provide information about marketplace fraud through scam reports to the public, media releases and alerts. BBBs work closely with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, providing them with valuable information on potentially fraudulent activities. Many times we are the first organization to know about a developing scam and alert authorities and the public. When a scam develops in one part of the country, the news travels quickly between BBBs in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico that in turn alert the public in their communities. The public can help to stop rip-offs and scams by contacting us before they do business with an unknown company and by notifying us of a potential scam. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
