07 Nov 2014

IRS Impersonators Calling Iowa/Illinois Consumers

By Better Business Bureau

IRS impersonators are making their rounds throughout our service area. BBB is receiving numerous calls from consumers who are inquiring about the legitimacy of a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS.  The impersonator states that the IRS is pursuing a lawsuit against the consumer for "back taxes," and they are demanding payment via prepaid money card or a wire transfer.

Those who don't answer their phone are left with a threatening message to call them back at 202-864-1213. Scammers often target the elderly or immigrant population. Some of the threats include jail time, deportation or suspension of the victim's business or driver's license.

BBB offers the following tips to protect you from the IRS scam and others like it:

  • Don't wire money to people you don't know. The IRS will never ask for payment over the phone. Furthermore, they will never ask for payments by wire transfer or prepaid debit card.
  • Just hang up. Don't engage in conversation with a scammer. A scam artist is often cunning. They may extract information from you the longer you engage in conversation with them.
  • Never give out your personal information. Caller ID spoofing makes it very easy for callers to pretend to be someone else. You should never give anyone your credit card, social security number or bank account information if they are soliciting you.
  • Call the IRS/ or company directly. If you owe taxes or think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. An IRS employee will help you with payment issues. Verify legitimate phone numbers on company websites or in the phonebook.

 

About Better Business Bureau: BBB is an unbiased, nonprofit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. All BBB services to consumers are free of charge. BBB provides objective advice; free BBB Business Reviews on more than 4 million businesses, 11,000 Charity Reviews, dispute resolution services, alerts and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. BBB Serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities and Siouxland Region was founded in 1940 and is one of 112 local, independent BBBs across North America.

11 Sep 2014

BBB Warns Schools and Daycares of Scholastic Scam

By Better Business Bureau
Scholastic School Supply Scam Features False Invoices, 22 States
Des Moines, IA–(September 9, 2014) Better Business Bureau is alerting schools and daycares to a scam involving Scholastic School Supply. The tactics employed by the company are similar to the well-known "Yellow Pages Scam," a business to business operation that surfaced in 2013, and bilked more than $14 million from small businesses and churches before being halted at the request of the Federal Trade Commission.
"This scam takes advantage of schools, daycares, and other educators, and the frenzy at the start of the school year," says Chris Coleman, President & CEO of BBB Serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities and Siouxland. "Administrators who are just trying to stay on top of bills will recognize the name and pay the invoice without knowing the books were never ordered. Sadly, this type of scam is all too familiar to us at BBB."
Consumers reaching out to the BBB allege that the operation is sending false invoices to schools and school districts throughout the country in the amount of $647.50 for a bulk purchase of text books that were never requested or received. The only contact information available on the invoices is an email address which consumers report does not respond to messages, a phone number which routes to a series of voice mail boxes, and mail drop addresses in either Sewell, New Jersey or Las Vegas, Nevada. Although the entity lists addresses in New Jersey and Nevada on its invoicing, the BBB has been unable to locate any corporation filings, business licensing, or otherwise required business entity documentation for it in either state to substantiate a physical location.
As of September 5, 2014, BBB Serving Southern Nevada (which serves Scholastic School Supply's headquarters) has received a total of 51 complaints from across the country, as well as 2,303 inquiries regarding this scam operation.
With numbers continuing to rise in increments of as many as 15 complaints a day, schools are urged to not pay the invoice, but instead to contact the Federal Trade Commission at (877) 382-4357 www.ftc.gov, the local Postal Inspectors, or Nevada State Bureau of Consumer Protection at (702) 486-3132 www.ag.nv.gov.
Consumers may also contact BBB Serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities and Siouxland at 800-222-1600.

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ABOUT Better Business Bureau: For more than 100 years, Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2013, people turned to BBB more than 132 million times for BBB Business Reviews on more than 4.5 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org. BBB Serving Serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities and Siouxland, founded in 1940 and is one of 112 local, independent BBBs across North America. You can reach us at 515-243-8137 or online at bbb.org/iowa.
03 Jul 2014

BBB Asks Donors to Honor July 4th by Helping Advocacy Charities

By Better Business Bureau
BBB Wise Giving Alliance Urges Donors to Actively Show Support for Advocacy Charities that Meet its Rigorous Standards
As Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4th, BBB Wise Giving Alliance calls for donors to show their support for charities that fight for a variety of causes.  "As we gather to cheer America's birthday," notes H. Art Taylor, President & CEO of BBB Wise Giving Alliance, "we should also applaud and assist those charities that conduct advocacy."
"The freedom of choice, to support the causes we care about, reminds us of the spirit of the July 4th holiday. But whether the charity advocates for issues related to civil rights, immigration, the environment, animal welfare, health care, veterans,  military service members or other issues," Taylor cautions donors to, "verify if the charity meets the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability by visiting give.org."
"Donor trust is essential for helping to maintain a vibrant and independent charitable community," notes Chris Coleman, President & CEO of BBB Serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities & Siouxland Region, "we believe that charities that seek to meet our rigorous standards understand the significant role that trust plays in successful fundraising."
To help donors support advocacy charities during the Independence Day and throughout the year, BBB offers the following tips:
  1. More than a Charity Name. Don't assume the nature of the advocacy charity's programs based solely on its name. Review the organization's website to better understand its positions and activities.
  2. Be Wary of Overly Emotional Appeals. Watch out for charity appeals that seek to stir your passions for an advocacy issue but don't tell you what the charity is specifically doing to address the matter.
  3. Many Voices for Each Cause. For any advocacy issue, there are a variety of charities seeking to address the matter in their own way.  The charity soliciting you is not the only option to consider. Many charities that carry out program services such as health care research, education, veterans assistance are also engaged in advocacy activities related to their mission.
  4. Accountability is More than Finances. It would be a mistake to overemphasize charity finances when assessing a charity.  BBB Wise Giving Alliance reminds donors that its broad standards address many other aspects of accountability such as governance, effectiveness reporting, appeal accuracy, website disclosures, donor privacy and other matters.
  5. Deductibility Verification. Don't assume that all advocacy organizations are tax exempt as charities.  If deductibility is important to you, see if the advocacy appeal references whether the organization is tax exempt as a charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
ABOUT BBB WISE GIVING ALLIANCE: BBB Wise Giving Alliance produces reports on over 1,300 nationally soliciting charitable organizations, and local BBBs report on another 10,000 local and regional charities. BBB Wise Giving Alliance does not rank charities but rather seeks to assist donors in making informed judgments by providing objective evaluations of national charities based on 20 standards that address charity governance, finances, fund raising, appeal accuracy, and other issues. The outcomes of the evaluations are available online at give.org.  For more information on local charities, you should contact Lynn Ross-Cope, Charity Review Coordinator, at lynn@dm.bbb.org or 515-243-8137 x309.

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