‘They can become you’: Scams shift toward text messages and social media, BBB report finds

QUINCY (WGEM) – Scammers are no longer sticking to the old ways of stealing your money; as technology moves into the future, so are new ways of scamming.

Scammers are increasingly reaching people through text messages and social media, according to the Better Business Bureau’s latest risk report. The BBB has tracked reported scams since 2015 through BBB Scam Tracker.

Quincy BBB Regional Director Don O’Brien said younger people are being targeted with employment scams.

“When we apply for jobs, we have to – usually have to fill out an application that has our Social Security number on there, and we usually have to give them a copy of our driver’s license – that driver’s license is going to include our birth date on there. If they have your birth date or your Social Security number, they can become you,” O’Brien said.

The BBB’s latest risk report found cryptocurrency and fake job offers remain the two riskiest scams for consumers.

Employment scams made up more than 15% of all published scam reports. The report found that scam type is the riskiest for adults ages 18 to 34, often targeting people searching for remote work.

The report found social media is the contact method with the highest percentage of reports involving loss of money.

Text scams also rose, increasing from 10% of reports to nearly 15% in one year.

According to reports submitted to BBB Scam Tracker, PayPal was the organization most frequently impersonated by scammers in 2025.

The report found that if a person has been scammed, it is not a matter of if, but when scammers will strike again.

In 2024, 12.4% of surveyed people reported losing money at least three times. In 2025, that number increased to 14.7%.

O’Brien said the report also reveals that people who have been scammed out of money are likely to get hit again.

“They are going to come back at you with some other scheme, so it’s really important for that education to get out there and make sure that if your loved ones lost money once, they are probably going to come back at them again, and you want to make sure you protect them,” O’Brien said.

The BBB said to do research before responding, verify employment opportunities, avoid clicking on unfamiliar links, and do not automatically trust familiar names.