Fraud Prevention Tips
Business Impersonation Scams
Scammers pretend to be someone you know or trust and try to scare or rush you into paying or giving them information. For example:
- Scammers say they’re calling from a utility company and your gas, electric, or water service is about to be interrupted because of a (fake) late bill.
- Scammers say they’re a government agent and threaten to suspend your business licenses, fine you, or even sue you. They might say it’s because you owe taxes or need to renew a license or registration.
- Some scammers convince you to buy workplace compliance posters that you can get for free from the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Some scammers trick you into paying to apply for so-called business grants from government programs that turn out to be fake.
- Scammers impersonate the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and threaten that you’ll lose your trademark if you don’t pay a fee immediately. Other times, they lie and say you owe money for additional registration services.
- Some scammers say they’re calling from a tech company, threatening that your business will lose its website URL if you don’t pay immediately.
For more information, you can go to: https://www.ftc.gov