Not So New Scam Could Hit Berkshire County Business Owners

There's a scam going around that generally affects small businesses. It's one you may be familiar with, as it's definitely not new. The scam tries to take advantage of your vanity, and I can tell you for a fact that I get hit up with this one all the time in regards to my voiceover business. If you're a small business owner, you have probably also had this scam attempted on you.

We all love to get recognition and to be awarded for our efforts, and that's just where this scam attempts to reel you in and suck some of your hard-earned cash right out of your wallet.

It's probably a scam...

Did you ever get one of those emails that inform you that your company is being given an award and all you have to do is send in a fee in order to claim it? Well, if you have, it was likely a scam. Hopefully, you simply deleted it as I do. The Better Business Bureau, which serves parts of Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and Rhode Island, warns that if you do receive an email saying that you have won an award and need to pay a fee to get it... you should carefully check out the details before sending any money, but... it's most likely a scam.

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There are some legitimate awards out there and they are commonly known as "Vanity Awards" but if you didn't submit to try to win it... and let's face it, even if you did... it may very well still be a scam.

These are available in virtually every industry and for every profession. For some, you fill out a form and pay a fee to enter the ‘competition.’ With others, you are notified that you’ve won and directed to a place where you can order plaques or trophies. ~ BBB Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT

I certainly wouldn't want to see you miss out on any well-deserved award that you have coming you, so maybe don't easily dismiss everything... just make sure that you exercise some caution.

The BBB offers a few tips to help you avoid being ripped off:

Check out the company's listing on the Better Business Bureau website. If they don't have one, you probably should hit the delete button. You should also research the company to find out as much as you can about them. They should be able to tell you in detail how your business was selected for the prize. Ask, who nominated you for the ward. If they won't tell you... well, you know what to do. Also, understand that most awards that are legit, do not come along with a fee. If it does... yeah. You already know.

READ ON... If you already got ripped off, how about a drive to cool off?