What scams are targeting you and how you can remain safe

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - At least once today most of you got a potential scam call, text or email in your inbox.

The Better Business Bureau is now ranking the worst offenders when it comes to going after your money and information.

The BBB says based on your age, you’re more likely to be targeted for different scams. If you’re between 18 to 34 you’re most at risk of being targeted for employment scams.

Online purchase scams were once again the riskiest scam for ages 35 to 64. And Home improvement scams were the number one scam for ages 65 and up.

People on average lost the most money to employment scams.

One of the more prevalent examples is when the company who supposedly just hired you for a remote position sends you a check, telling you to purchase a list of supplies, once you deposit the check, you’re supposed to return any excess funds to said company.

In the next couple of weeks the bank will contact you saying the check was fake.

Leaving you on the hook for the money and potentially more as you handed over personal information for the job you thought you had just gained.

“No one is safe from being targeted by scams and the only real effective way to defend yourself is to be familiar with exactly what scams are out there. Which scams are targeting which segments of the population and exactly how those scams are perpetrated so that you can live identify in that moment that yes, something feels off about this and I am not going to proceed,” said Better Business Bureau Vice President of Marketing & Communications Garet Smitherman.

One final warning, text message scams are up 39 percent since last year. So if you get an unknown link sent to your cell phone DO NOT CLICK.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.