Since 2022, Better Business Bureau^® (BBB^®) has received nearly 4,000 reports from businesses encountering scams during the course of everyday business.

Stories run the gamut between light nuisances, such as incessant spam emails, to complete disruption, like scammers holding data for ransom. In every scenario, fraudsters show little regard for how their deception affects the livelihood of businesses, the owners, and their employees.

Federal agencies reported that billions of dollars are lost each year to scammers infiltrating businesses. Every year, technology and security grow in sophistication to match our ever-evolving needs, but so do the scamming methods. The cost of doing business is high, and with help, you can fight back against scammers.

Red flags:

• Unknown businesses, government agencies, and big-ticket buyers
• Invoices from unexpected emails
• Odd behavior from “known” vendors or businesses
• Requests for gift cards or pre-paid debit card payments
• Urgent demands to renew or obtain licenses or trademarks
• Claims about expiring domain names
• Consultants making big promises about helping your business

BBB’s tips to avoid business scams:

• Schedule regular staff trainings to recognize scams
• Double-check invoices and payments before sending
• Verify vendor contact information
• Establish payment procedures
• Avoid wire transfers, pre-paid debit cards, and gift cards whenever possible
• Maintain good records to compare against fraudsters’ claims
• Don’t trust caller ID or names associated with emails
• Research unknown companies asking to do business
• Install firewalls, multifactor authentication and other security measures
• Obtain verification on social media profiles

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For more information, read the full 2025 business scam study and check out BBB’s BizHQ. Contact your Better Business Bureau by calling 216.241.7678 or emailing info@cleveland.bbb.org. Interested in becoming BBB Accredited? Find out how you can apply for BBB Accreditation.