CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As you take on the new year, scammers are looking to take advantage of you. WCNC Charlotte is helping you get ahead to make sure you're not left asking, "Where's the money?"
Juliana O'Rork with the Better Business Bureau of Southern Piedmont and Western North Carolina said the BBB's scam tracker risk report found that online purchase scams in particular are worth looking out for this year.
These scams usually involve ads you see on social media or on the internet.
"A product, from a pricing standpoint, it might be too good to be true," O'Rork said. "The website address may seem invalid for the product you're looking to purchase. So we always recommend, you know, just being very careful as you're shopping online."
To let us know how WCNC Charlotte can help you get ahead in 2024, email us at newstips@wcnc.com.
If you're looking for a job, there are employment scams to avoid as well.
"If you are being hired on the spot without an interview, that's definitely a red flag," O'Rork said. "If they're asking for you to pay for any type of training or pay for any office supplies up front, that's going to be a red flag."
O'Rork warned if you're asked to pay for something using cryptocurrency, that could be another type of scam.
"We're finding, when people are using online dating apps or if they're meeting people online, and somebody tells them, ‘Oh, hey, I can show you how to invest, I can show you how to make some great crypto,' -- oftentimes, those are scams," O'Rork said.
Home improvement scams involve some individuals or companies that will go door-to-door offering to do work on your home, like the roof or driveway.
"Oftentimes, these people will want money up front, sometimes they don't come back to do the work... once you've given them some funds," O'Rork said. "Or they come back and they do a shoddy job they don't finish."
The fifth type of scam the BBB says to avoid is an advanced fee loan scam. This is when you're asked to pay a fee upfront in order to borrow money.
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to WCNC Charlotte by emailing money@wcnc.com.
"As you can imagine, if people are needing loans, they obviously don't have the funds in the first place to be able to provide," O'Rork said.
O'Rork said that year after year, scammers seem to use the same methods -- just targeting different groups of people. Unfortunately, many are still falling for these tactics.
Contact Jane Monreal at jmonreal@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte's Where's The Money series is all about leveling the playing field in the Carolinas by helping others and breaking down barriers. WCNC Charlotte doesn't want our viewers to be taken advantage of, so we’re here to help. Watch previous stories where we ask the question “Where’s the Money” in the YouTube playlist below and subscribe to get updated when new videos are uploaded.