Cleveland Better Business Bureau President Sue McConnell joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss potential scams related to the war in Ukraine and explained ways people can ensure their donations go to legitimate charities, which benefit Ukrainian refugees.
McConnell pointed out that whenever there is a global crisis, scams are inevitable. While the BBB is not yet aware of any particular scam related to Ukraine, McConnell urged listeners to research any charity to ensure it is legitimate. Some purported charities could be scams to take people’s money, while others may be well-meaning, but not actually have the resources to meet their goals. She encouraged people to visit give.org for lists of well-vetted charities that could help Ukrainian refugees.
McConnell then talked about Google Voice verification scams, where scammers will respond to an ad listing the victim’s phone number. The scammer will ask to verify that number with a code texted to the victim. The code is actually a verification for a Google Voice account, which would be tied to the victim’s phone number. The scammer then uses the account to commit fraud. McConnell urged listeners to never share Google Voice verification codes with anyone.
She also discussed bar crawl event scams, where scammers will create bar crawls for a fee without contacting the venues. Victims are told the bar crawl includes a free T-shirt or drink discount, which never materializes. In some instances, the drink discount is nothing more than happy hour pricing. Often, the venues themselves are not even aware of the bar crawl, she explained.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these scams: