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How to spot scams sliding into your online messages

Posted at 6:33 PM, May 25, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-25 21:33:12-04

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According to the Better Business Bureau, as people are spending more time online there has been a significant increase in the number of online scams since the start of the pandemic. Last year alone, the BBB reports, that type of crime rose by more than 25% compared to the previous year.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • A staggering 80.5 percent of consumers reporting online purchase scams in 2020 lost money. That figure has been creeping up from 71.2 percent in 2015, when BBB began collecting data.
  • Individuals ages 35-44 were more susceptible and likely to be victimized, while younger consumers are more susceptible than older adults. However, older adults tend to lose more money than younger adults for online purchase scams.
  • In addition, service members, military spouses, and veterans were more likely to fall victim than non-military consumers and reported losing significantly more money to online purchase scams.

MORE ABOUT JENNIFER HANLEY:
Jennifer Hanley is North American Head of Safety at Facebook where she oversees safety policy for the U.S. and Canada. She works with internal teams, external partners, and government stakeholders on issues including women’s safety, child safety, bullying, digital well-being, and suicide prevention. Prior to joining Facebook she served as Vice President for Legal and Policy at the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) where she directed FOSI's government outreach and policy strategy. During her time at FOSI, Jennifer built relationships with government officials and external partners, led research projects, and advised leading technology companies on best practices, policy developments, and emerging issues around online safety.

Jennifer is a magna cum laude graduate of the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law and is a member of the Maryland Bar and District of Columbia Bar. Jennifer graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from the George Washington University where she studied political science.