Southfield, MI – August 23, 2011 – Con artists are showing up at the doorsteps of local businesses, falsely claiming affiliation with your Better Business Bureau (BBB) and trying to convince business owners to give them access to personal financial information. Business owners should be aware that these attempts are not legitimate.
The BBB of Western Virginia is reporting that impostors are falsely soliciting BBB Accreditation door-to-door and requesting money in a pushy, aggressive manner.
In addition, the scammers are requesting access to company financial records.
In Michigan, BBB representatives may contact businesses periodically by phone to handle a complaint, update their BBB Business Review or invite select businesses to apply for BBB Accreditation. The BBB advises businesses to never provide business details or payment information to individuals who show up at your doorstep promising BBB Accreditation.
Businesses are encouraged to verify the BBB representative's legitimacy by calling (248)223-9400 or e-mail the BBB at info@easternmichiganbbb.org. In addition, any business that believes they have been contacted by someone who may be impersonating a representative of the BBB is urged to contact the BBB with information that may aid in this investigation.
###
The Better Business Bureau Serving Detroit & Eastern Michigan is a non-profit organization with the purpose of promoting trust in the marketplace by assisting in the protection of consumers and businesses from fraud and unethical business practices. In addition to its recognized dispute resolution services, the BBB maintains reliability reports on the customer service history of more than 80,000 local businesses and provides consumer education materials on numerous topics. The BBB provides its services free to the public and its service territory stretches across Eastern Michigan from Ann Arbor through Metropolitan Detroit, Lansing, Flint, upward to Alpena, and covers the entire Upper Peninsula of the state.