The Better Business Bureau is warning scammers are creating websites that look like USPS, DMV, Equifax or another major website and tricking consumers. Also, sharing your information with scammers through this phony sites puts you at risk for ID theft.
In our recent coverage News5 worked with viewers and local leaders to send a warning about both fake and third party websites that could cost you more money for DMV services, or sensitive information that could make you a target for scams in the future.
While these third party websites are perfectly legal, the BBB says look-alike websites are a concern beyond just the DMV.
So how does the scam work? Consumer protection experts say once version of this scam involves changing your address through the United States Postal Service. You type “address change” or a similar query into a search engine.
Several results pop up. You click on the one that looks official and says USPS. When the site loads, everything looks normal, you fill out the forms and make a payment with your credit or debit card.
Shortly after, you notice a hefty charge from a business that is not the USPS. When you call the company to find out what happened, they claim, at best, that they can only offer you a partial refund.
For ways to avoid these types of schemes and report them you can visit: https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/19251-scam-alert-dont-lose-money-to-fake-lookalike-websites
