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Regional Better Business Bureau Affiliate Hones Its Dual Mission

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Features

Matters of Trust

Recently, Megan MacBride, director of Marketing and Communications for the Better Business Bureau of Central New England, paid a visit to our BusinessTalk podcast, talking with BusinessWest Editor Joseph Bednar about the role of the BBB. Here are some abridged highlights of that conversation.

 

BusinessWest: Can you give us a basic idea of some of the programs and services of the BBB and how they benefit both business owners and customers?

MacBride: We have the business side, and we have the consumer side. We have a consumer foundation that offers support to consumers. For example, we put on a lot of scam presentations and seminars. It’s really helpful for people who are getting older because there are a lot of elder scams out there. So we’re continuously trying to educate those people.

We also have a complaint service. For example, if you went and bought a hot dog at a hot-dog stand and you were charged $2 and the person behind you was charged $1, and you were mad about that $1, you could call the BBB, and we’ll open up a complaint, whether the business is accredited with us or not, and we’ll be a neutral third party that will bring the unhappy customer and the business together to find a positive resolution that works for both.

Megan MacBride

Megan MacBride

“Don’t let these scammers bully you with threats and rush tactics like, ‘you need to pay now, or otherwise you’re going to get a fine, or you’re going to get arrested.’ The IRS will send you a letter in the mail. It’ll never be a threatening phone call.”

What the business wouldn’t want, whether they’re accredited with us or not, is a bad rating on our website because we document all of this stuff, and we vet all of our businesses before they can become accredited with us. Even if they’re not accredited with us and there are complaints, we’ll still fully investigate it, and we’ll make those complaints public so people are aware of what’s going on.

 

BusinessWest: What does it mean to be a BBB-accredited business?

MacBride: We have to go through your entire business and make sure that you fit our standards of trust. Our BBB standards of trust are to advertise honestly, tell the truth, be transparent, honor promises, be responsive, safeguard privacy, and embody integrity. We want to have businesses that follow our standards of trust to be accredited.

And there are a lot of benefits. We had about 220 million viewers in 2024 on bbb.org. As an accredited business, you can list your business with us. We also do advertising for businesses, so they can buy ad spots as well. There are tons of other opportunities to work with the BBB beyond just getting the seal.

We’re always here as a resource for anyone on the business or consumer side if they ever need anything. I think it just fosters trust in the community. We all want to do business with good businesses, and we want to avoid scams and frustration. So when we’re all in this together and we have these accreditations to back it up, it makes you feel just a little bit better.

Another part of being a BBB-accredited business is that you have opportunities for e-learning seminars, so you can learn different things about various business topics. It’s an additional resource for lifelong learning. Even as a business owner, you’re still learning every day.

 

BusinessWest: You mentioned consumer scams. What are some examples of scams that are common right now?

MacBride: One that’s been ongoing recently is an EZ Pass scam. I don’t know if you’ve ever received an unsolicited text message claiming to be from an EZ Pass service. They make you follow this weird link, and then, next thing you know, your information is stolen. There have been over 800 reports in our region alone, and I know that other regions have also been targets of this.

I want to continue to remind people, do not respond to that text. It is absolutely fake news. EZ Pass would never send a text to you saying that you have an outstanding balance. It’s important to delete those, and it’s also important not to respond back. That’s a big thing. Even if you’re trying to respond just to say stop or unsubscribe, don’t even do that. Immediately block the number, report it, don’t even engage with it.

Another big scam that’s been going around recently is the wrong-number scam. You’ll get a random text and somebody says, ‘hi, I’m trying to reach so-and-so; this is my new number.’ And you might respond back and say, ‘hey, sorry, I think you might have the wrong number. I am not so-and-so.’ And then the scammer will respond, ‘oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. How are you today? My name is X. I’d like to start talking to you now.’

And it just gets a little weird, right? So again, don’t respond to these. If you ever get an unsolicited text or phone call, review the number with caution, and if it’s a call, they can always leave a voicemail.

The other one relates to tax season. Everyone’s preparing for that April 15 date, so I’ve been trying to warn people about the IRS impersonation scams, when you receive a phone call from the IRS and they’re demanding money from you. The IRS does not do that, so don’t let these scammers bully you with threats and rush tactics like, ‘you need to pay now, or otherwise you’re going to get a fine, or you’re going to get arrested.’ The IRS will send you a letter in the mail. It’ll never be a threatening phone call.

 

BusinessWest: It would seem to me there is more awareness of scams, but I imagine you’re seeing the complaints at ground level, and there’s probably still a lot of need for education and to keep reinforcing these messages, right?

MacBride: Absolutely. Like I said, we have some of these vulnerable populations, older people, and with the rise of AI and the ability to manipulate photos and videos, it’s so important for us to continue to trying to get get ahead of it, making sure we’re on top of the curve, so we can continue to warn people of these things.

 

BusinessWest: There are a lot of organizations out there that advocate for the business community or for the consumer community. You really do both. How gratifying is it to be involved in that sort of work, to help consumers find what they need and also help businesses succeed?

MacBride: Honestly, it’s great. We are a nonprofit advocacy group for not only businesses, but also consumers, and it feels really good to get all the good businesses to come together and work together. I think our values are important. And I think having resources for consumers is amazing too, because sometimes people don’t know where to turn when things happen. So we want to always be there for both sides of it.

 

BusinessTalk with Megan MacBride, Director of Marketing & Communications, Better Business Bureau of Central New England

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Business Talk Podcast Special Coverage

We are excited to announce that BusinessWest has launched a new podcast series, BusinessTalk. Each episode will feature in-depth interviews and discussions with local industry leaders, providing thoughtful perspectives on the Western Massachuetts economy and the many business ventures that keep it running during these challenging times.

Go HERE to view all episodes

Episode 231: March 31, 2025

Joe talks with Megan MacBride, director of Marketing & Communications with the Better Business Bureau of Central New England

The Better Business Bureau has long promised value for both businesses and consumers: for companies, a reputation boost and access to member benefits, and for the public, trustworthy information and a host of consumer-protection resources. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Megan MacBride, director of Marketing & Communications with the Better Business Bureau of Central New England, talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about all this and more, from how the BBB elevates area businesses through an exciting awards program to some of the most common scams currently tripping customers up, and how to avoid them. It’s must listening, so tune into BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

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BBB Reports on Most Common Types of Scams to Avoid

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Wealth Management

Don’t Let Your Gains Be Drained

 

Employment scams climbed to the second-riskiest in 2022, according to a new Better Business Bureau (BBB) report, while online purchase scams remained the riskiest scam type.

Employment scams rose from third-riskiest in 2021 to second-riskiest in 2022, according to a new report from the Better Business Bureau. Employment-scam reports submitted to BBB Scam Tracker rose 23.1% from 2021 to 2022. People also lost more money to this scam type in 2022, up 66.7% from 2021 ($900) to 2022 ($1,500). The median dollar loss for employment scams ($1,500) was significantly higher than that of $171 for all scam types.

Online purchase (shopping) scams remained the riskiest scam type in 2022. Online purchase scams comprised 31.9% of all scams reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2022, with 74.0% of people reporting that they lost money.

Cryptocurrency scams dropped in 2022 from second- to third-riskiest due to a drop in reported scams, susceptibility (the percentage of those who lose money when exposed to a scam), and median dollar loss.

“Employment scams, which peaked at #1 on our list in 2019, are seeing a resurgence,” said Melissa Lanning Trumpower, executive director of the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, which produced the 2022 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report. “This is a high-touch scam in which perpetrators spend more time with their targets in the hope of stealing more money from each target. Employment scams tied for the highest median dollar loss of all scam types. Home-improvement scams, #4 on our list of riskiest scams, also had a median dollar loss of $1,500.”

More people reported losing money when targeted by websites, social media, and email than other contact methods. Those who were targeted in person reported losing the most significant amount of money ($715), followed by text messages ($579) and phone ($550). Scams perpetrated by text messages increased by 39.6%, from 9.1% in 2021 to 12.7% in 2022.

Scams perpetrated online were more likely to result in a monetary loss than scams targeted via phone or in person. Credit cards remained the most reported payment method with a monetary loss, followed by online payment systems. The payment methods with the highest median dollar loss were wire transfer ($2,700), check ($1,277), and cryptocurrency ($1,135).

The riskiest scam type varied among age groups, with employment scams landing as the riskiest for ages 18 to 34. Online purchase scams were again the riskiest for ages 35 to 64. Home-improvement scams were the riskiest for ages 65 and up.

Military consumers (active-duty military, spouses, and veterans) reported significantly higher median financial losses ($238) than non-military consumers ($163). Active-duty military reported losing significantly more money ($490) than military spouses ($248) and veterans ($200).

The five most impersonated organizations reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2022 were Amazon, Geek Squad, Publishers Clearing House, the U.S. Postal Service, and Norton.

For more report highlights, visit bbbmarketplacetrust.org/riskreport. Go to bbb.org/scamtracker to report a scam and learn more about other risky scams on bbb.org/scamtips.

BBB Scam Tracker is an online platform that enables consumers and businesses to report attempted and successful acts of fraud. The platform also enables people to search the scam reports to help determine if a scam is targeting them. The platform was upgraded in 2022 with support from Amazon and Capital One.

 

Tips for Helping Small Businesses in a Time of Crisis

By Contributor
Coronavirus

We’re in This Together

From the Better Business Bureau

We don’t know how long COVID-19 crisis, with its shutdowns and social distancing, will last, but small businesses certainly need your support to make it through these uncertain times.

This crisis is affecting all types of small business. This includes places you use every day, such as your local coffee shop or favorite lunch place, but also businesses that might not immediately come to mind. The closures and cancellations hurt services like home-improvement contractors, daycare providers, dry cleaners, and car mechanics, as well as healthcare businesses, such as your dentist or chiropractor. Even business-to-business fields, such as the graphic designer who designs your office’s brochures or the accounting firm who does the books, are feeling the impact.   

By closing their doors temporarily, small businesses are helping to keep their customers and employees healthy. But the loss of income makes it tough to cover ongoing expenses like rent and salaries. These tips help ensure your favorite businesses have the cash they need to make it through these lean times.  

Here are the Better Business Bureau’s practical tips on how everyone can support small businesses — with or without spending money.

• Buy a gift card for later. Many small businesses that have had to close are offering gift certificates at discounted rates for when they open back up. Look on their websites and social accounts.

• Skip the refund and take a rain check. If you paid in advance for an event, such as theater or concert tickets, a class, or a service, consider taking a credit for the future instead of asking for a refund. These businesses will appreciate not needing to issue so many refunds right now.

• Commit to future work. While right now may not be the best time to start that home-renovation project, your contractor will appreciate you committing to future projects when business opens back up. The same goes for any future event or project.

• Shop (locally) online. Local shops and vendors may have closed their physical doors, but many still run online shops. Look for them on social media or check the their website for links to their online marketplace.

• Look for virtual classes. People who work in training or professional development — this can be anyone from your personal trainer to the person teaching your office’s public-speaking workshop — are finding creative ways to move their instruction online. Even though your local gym is closed, your favorite yoga teacher may be hosting a live class online. The same goes for people who offer professional trainings. Now may be a good time to brush up on your skills through an online course.

• Get takeout or delivery. Many restaurants and breweries are now offering takeout even as they close their dining rooms. Support these local institutions by getting your food or drinks to go and enjoying them at home.

Not everyone has the financial resources to pay in advance. So, if your own wallet is feeling the pinch, here are some free ways to support small businesses.

• Write an online review. This is a good time to finally get around to reviewing your favorite local business. These five-star reviews help companies rank well in search engines and on other listing services. This is an easy, free way to show your favorite small businesses that you support them.

• Like and share on social media. Help your favorite business reach a broader audience by liking and sharing their information on social media. This will help them reach future customers and gain more exposure.

• Tell your favorite businesses that you appreciate their work. These are tough times. Keep morale up by reaching out to the businesses in your community and letting them know that you appreciate their hard work.