Beware of the BBB Phishing Email

The BBB reports another scam using the BBB name has popped up again, and has been received by consumers and businesses from our own BBB office including other areas across the U.S. and Canada. They are really good fakes – they use correct grammar and follow formats often used by BBB, so they look quite realistic. Businesses and consumers are advised not to click!

Two versions of the email have been received. One claims to be following up on a complaint filed with BBB, the other is asking for updated contact information “as a service to BBB Accredited Businesses.”

Both refer the recipient to an online form, and the address appears to be that of a local BBB. However, if you hover your mouse over the web address (the part that begins with http), you can see that the real address is not from BBB at all. DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK! The link actually takes you to a rogue website that downloads a Trojan virus on your computer.

The bottom line is this: If you don’t own a business, you can disregard any BBB email that claims your company has been the subject of a customer communication. If you do own a business, you can always check with your local office to confirm the legitimacy of any email purporting to come from BBB.