TOWN OF ROYALTON, N.Y. (WKBW) — A new study from the Better Business Bureau states that phishing scams hit a record high last year, and all signs point to the number of scams only rising.
"We're on track to break another record this year, so obviously this is a concern," said Kat Schmieder, from the BBB of Upstate New York.
The BBB received 9,288 scam reports in 2023, nearly double the 5,101 scams in 2022.
"Scammers may send a phony invoice," said Schmeider.
That's what happened to Performance Manufacturing Corporation in the Town of Royalton. April Garland, an employee there, said a company was sending invoices for parts that they never ordered.
The invoices said that the parts were ordered over the phone, but Garland later realized there was no record of speaking with this company. They lost $1,400 before realizing it, and have since changed their invoice policy.
"This is the kind of person we need to stop," said Garland.
Schmieder said AI is making it easier for scammers to impersonate over the phone, and craft emails or text messages to send out.
Since 2021 there have been more than 23,000 reported phishing scams, which have happened in different forms.
- PHISHING (8,346 reports): This is usually a scam over email. The BBB said this is the most popular method and can include malicious links and documents from a sender that pretends to be a well-known company.
- VISHING (7,416 reports): These are phone call scams. Many times the caller pretends to be law enforcement or a government employee.
- SMISHING (3,486 reports): Text scams. Attempt to get you to click on a link. Many times it's about an order or subscription you have no involvement with.
The BBB also reports malware scams, which can be pop-ups on your computer that trick you into initiating tech support.
Never click any links or pop-ups you're unfamiliar with. The BBB urges you to ignore calls, texts, and emails that seem suspicious.
