Halloween’s Top-5 Scariest Scams

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Northeast Georgia urges consumers to be wary of ghouls and goblins during this year’s scary celebrations. Don’t lose your soul or your money.  The top 5 scariest scams this Halloween season to avoid are: 1) Chilling IRS Scam. The relentless, harrowing calls in the middle of the night demanding money for unpaid taxes will turn you into a zombie-like state. 2) Evil Employment Scam.  These living corpses won’t rest until you’ve cashed a fake check and sent them the money. This sinister scam hinges on you believing you’ve been given a job you didn’t interview for. If it seems too good to be true…it is. Even scarier, banks aren’t responsible for fake checks you deposit. 3) Shadowy Social Media.  Fake friend requests haunt you like ghosts in the ether. They are but an apparition of someone you already know. The specters are trying to get you to send money for a lottery you did not enter or cunningly convince you to access a fake government grant. 4) Possessed Remote Computer Scams. Like hands reaching from a crypt, these ghouls wish to control your computer from another realm. They will freeze your computer with their long-dead, icy grip and demand money to let you have it back. Ransomware is a scam.  5) Lurking Lottery Reapers. You didn’t enter a US lottery, but they will convince you that you’ve won millions. These wretched lies feel like a dream. All they demand is a payment to release the funds, and once they get a penny from you the calls will never end. To stay alert and avoid falling for scams, read BBB.org/ScamTips.