![['Better Business Bureau']](https://saltwire.imgix.net/better-business-bureau-2941027.jpg?cs=srgb&fit=crop&h=568&w=847&dpr=1&auto=enhance%2Ccompress%2Cformat)
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has chosen online purchase scams as number one on its list of top 10 scams in Canada for 2017.
The organization released the list on Thursday, March 1.
Rounding out rest of the top 10 in order are wire fraud – spearphishing, online dating scams, employment scams, cryptocurrency scams, income tax scam, miracle weight loss scams, advance fee loans, shady contractor services, and fake invoices.
The BBB creates the annual list from key information obtained from its own Scam Tracker website, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre statistics, and critical concerns frequently brought forward by its community partners and corporate sponsors.
“Everyone is a target now,” Danielle Primrose, president and CEO of BBB serving Mainland BC and representing BBBs across Canada, said in a news release.
“Staying informed and on top of the numerous ways scammers try and get your money is key to making sure you don’t fall victim.”
Scammers cheated Canadians out of over $95,000,000 last year, according to the BBB news release.
The actual amount, however, is probably much higher as it’s thought only five per cent of victims come forward to report losses.
