Ads on Craigslist.com Offer Phony BBB Buyers Protection
Wallingford, CT - June 22, 2009 – Better Business Bureau is warning Connecticut consumers about a new scam on the popular classified Web site craigslist.com, in which companies claim they are BBB accredited, and participating in a purchase or buyer’s “protection program.” BBB warns there is no such thing as a Better Business Bureau purchase protection program, and any online seller claiming participation in such a program is scamming consumers.
Connecticut Better Business Bureau President, Paulette Scarpetti, says it is important to verify BBB accreditation at the source: the Better Business Bureau Web site.
“Consumers rely upon BBB Accredited Businesses and the BBB seal as indicators of the trustworthiness of a company. Unfortunately, some companies and con artists are trying to dupe consumers into doing business with them by illegally using the Better Business Bureau name and logo, so it is crucial to verify accreditation at www.bbb.org.”
BBB has received several reports from consumers coast to coast who were shopping for items on Craigslist – such as golf bags and strollers – and came across an ad claiming that the seller was accredited by BBB. After inquiring about the item by e-mail, the seller would respond that they were not only BBB-accredited, but also a participant in the BBB Protection Program and that the program would protect the buyer if the item they paid for wasn’t received. These con artists also are fraudulently using the BBB logo on their Web sites.
Among the companies involved in these practices are overstockshop.biz and overstocksales.org. Both have stolen images from the BBB web site to mimic the layout and design used by BBB.
Sham websites use more than a dozen names including Emma Lawlet, Hollie West, Claudia Curtis, Mallory Downs, Stephanie Bradford, Elizabeth Stanford, Christine Gilmore and Linda Koller. Some have even gone so far as to create phony BBB Reliability Reports that are linked to and hosted on the scammer’s Web sites.
Better Business Bureau contacted the Web hosting company of overstockshop.biz, which in turn suspended the scammer’s site. Since then the same people have set up shop at overrstocksales.org, and BBB is now moving to have that site taken down as well.
There are a number of ways to verify a company’s BBB accreditation:
- Businesses will often post the BBB Accredited Seal on their Web site to show customers that they meet and uphold BBB’s standards. To verify accreditation, consumers should click on the BBB logo, which should redirect them to either a confirmation page or the company’s Reliability Report hosted on the BBB Web site.
- When shopping offline, don’t just take a company’s word for it. Visit www.bbb.org, or call 203-269-2700 ext. 2, and review the Reliability Report and rating from BBB, as well as additional information on the company’s management and complaint history.
- Consumers who believe a business is fraudulently claiming BBB accreditation should notify their BBB and file a complaint by letter, telephone or online.
For more advice on how to avoid scams online and find trustworthy businesses, visit www.bbb.org.