What are the latest scams? How do the criminals exploit technology to fool us? BBB President Dick Eppstein has witnessed tremendous changes in the way criminals exploit technology to their advantage. He was here today to educate us as consumers so we can avoid being cheated, and BBB’s effort to expose and destroy the crooks who prey on innocent victims every day.Dick is the president of the Better Business Bureau that serves a 24-county area of Northwestern Ohio, Lima and Southeastern Michigan from its offices in Sylvania Township and a Toledo Rotarian. He is a graduate of the University of Toledo and the Better Business Bureau Institute for Executive Development, Washington, D.C.
For over 46 years, Dick has been involved in BBB work. He is well known as a regular guest on Toledo WTOL-TV (Channel 11), and is also a regular radio personality on several area stations. The Bureau under his leadership has established a national reputation for innovation, especially in its ethics instruction, charity review and advertising review programs.
Among other honors, Dick is a three-time past president of the Ohio Better Business Bureau and has been elected to the Scott High School (Toledo) Hall of Fame. He belongs to the FBI Citizens Academy, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and other professional organizations.
Dick and his wife, Grace, live in Sylvania Township. They are proud parents of two sons; Andrew, Chief of General Surgery at the Roudebush Veterans Administration Hospital in Indianapolis, and Alexander, Pastor at Bethel Reformed Presbyterian Church in Sparta, Illinois. They have four grandchildren.
Here are just a few of the scams Dick shared with us today:
- “I’m calling from the IRS.” – These scammers often call from overseas and want you to send them money immediately. The IRS DOES NOT CALL ANYONE DIRECTLY!
- “You have won Publishers Clearinghouse.” – They want fees or taxes in advance they say so they can release prize money. DON’T DO IT. It’s a scam.
- “Grandma, can you help?” – Scammers disguise themselves as relatives pleading for you to send them money since they are in trouble of some sort. DON’T DO IT!
- This is IT service calling.” – These scammer want to access your computer because they say they have noticed a virus or t’s running too slow. DO NOT GIVE THEM ACCESS. It’s a scam!
- “You’ve been approved for a government grant.” – These bandits tell victims that, because they have been model citizens and pay their taxes, they have been approved for a grant of thousands of dollars.
Dick cited a number of others and said for more info about these and others to go to www.bbb.org for much more information.