Western Union and Better Business Bureau Warn of Internet Purchase
Scams This Holiday Season
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The perfect puppy for a spouse, a car priced just right for your
teenager. Sales and special offers typically increase during the
holidays, and scammers are also poised to try to steal people’s
hard-earned cash. Western Union and Better Business Bureau are equipping
consumers with important tips to avoid falling for a scammer’s tricks
when shopping for holiday gifts.
“Scam artists prey on consumers’ desire to make loved ones happy with
special gifts during the holidays. They use this impulse to overcome the
victim's reasoning, telling the victim that he or she must act quickly,”
said Carrie Hurt, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business
Bureaus. “Scam artists often sound so convincing that victims don't feel
the need to check out their real qualifications. It’s always best to
deal with established organizations. Rescue a puppy from a caring
shelter or buy that car from a legitimate dealer.”
What else can consumers do? Visit BBB
Scam Stopper, a site launched by Western Union and BBB to help
consumers reduce their chances of becoming a victim of a scam. Western
Union and BBB also remind consumers never to send a money transfer to an
individual you have not met in person.
“Money transfer is a great way to send money quickly and conveniently to
friends and loved ones,” said Shelley Bernhardt, Director of Consumer
Protection at Western Union. “However, it is not intended for use when
doing business with someone you have not met face-to-face.”
It is particularly important to use caution when bidding on items using
an online auction. Buyers are told the seller only accepts money
transfers for payment. The “seller” tells the buyer to put the
transaction in a fictitious name, falsely convincing the victim this
protects their money until the goods or services are received. The
“seller” retrieves the funds and the merchandise never arrives.
Much in the same way you shouldn’t send cash through the mail to
a complete stranger, don’t use a money transfer service to pay for a
product you haven’t seen, from an individual you have not met. For more
information, you can also visit http://www.westernunion.com/stopfraud.
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment
services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western
Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union
provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient
ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to
purchase money orders. As of September 30, 2013, the Western Union, Vigo
and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined
network of approximately 515,000 agent locations in 200 countries and
territories and approximately 115,000 ATMs. In 2012, The Western Union
Company completed 231 million consumer-to-consumer transactions
worldwide, moving $79 billion of principal between consumers, and 432
million business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
About BBB
For more than 100 years, Better Business Bureau has been helping
consumers find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2012,
consumers turned to BBB 124 million times for Business Reviews on more
than 4.5 million companies and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all
available for free at bbb.org.
The Council of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for
113 local, independent BBBs across the United States and Canada, as well
as home to its national programs on dispute resolution and industry
self-regulation.
WU-F, WU-G
Source: Western Union