BBB President/CEO Sheryl Bilbrey appeared on San Diego 6 this morning to discuss Valentine's Day scams that should be on the forefront of consumers' minds.
Don't Let Scammers Break Your Heart, Your Achy-Breaky Heart
It’s a day of love and romance. Couples will spend the day reminding their counterparts of how much they mean to them, and scammers will spend the day trying to take advantage of the love and romance that is shared on February 14th.
Scam artists know the right buttons to push on Valentine’s Day. From the e-card viruses to ordering flowers online, consumers have to be extra cautious, but scam artists are the only culprits of broken hearts on Valentine’s Day: legitimate businesses can cause heart ache too.
Follow these BBB tips to stay smitten on this day of love and joy:
Click with Caution. Before you open an e-card wishing you a happy V-Day, verify that it came from a reliable source. If you receive any suspicious looking emails, do not open them, and immediately delete the email. If you click on a link that is unreliable, run a virus scan on your computer and change your passwords for your personal accounts.
Finding your one true love…shouldn’t come at the cost of your personal information. If you are single on Valentine’s Day, it may be tempting to join an online dating site, but make sure that you verify the legitimacy of the site before you fork over your billing and personal info. Check the BBB website to find reviews on dating services.
Don’t put your complete faith in flower shops. While most flower shops will do their best to deliver your bouquets on time, with the onslaught of orders they receive in the first few weeks of February, it is likely there will be a few screw ups. Take that into account when you order your blossoms and set the delivery for a few days early.
We hope you have a happy and scam-free Valentine’s Day! For more information about flower delivery and dating services, visit your BBB.
