Tom Johnson, Better Business Bureau
@ChicagoBBB @bbb_us
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TRANSCRIPT:
Scam Alert Fitness apps and trackers are the latest way that scammers have found a way to rip off Americans trying to stay healthy. Tom Johnson has the details. And this one is almost unbelievable. Tom. Hi, Angie. Always a pleasure to be with you. BP has a new alert out and fitness trackers. Fitness trackers can be an excellent way to get back in shape and make it a lot more fun to connect with the community.
But BP is getting scam notices now of people trying to infiltrate fitness tracker families and try to get more information and even money from you. The way that it works, you join a new community, you get your device and someone is offering you great tips off to the side. They’re trying to develop a relationship and then all of a sudden they start asking more personal questions to learn more about your life and gain your trust.
Then they get people’s trust and they can either ask for personal information or they can also try to get you to send them money because they’re having some kind of crisis. One victim lost $100,000 in this type of scam. So be very careful out there of who you accept as a fitness tracker friend. Avoid personal questions. And also, BP advises that you never post a real photo to your profile.
Use an avatar or some other image because this information can be used against you. So just use caution. If someone contacts you in a way that raises any suspicion, cut off their contact and share the information with friends and family to get their take on it. I’m Tom Johnson for the Better Business Bureau. Go to business first team dot com for where to see our show on TV.
