Hello, fellow squirrels. Today, I will be finishing my nutshell about the BBB scams.
In the latest post about Better Business Bureau (BBB) scams, we talked about two out of the four types. We covered the fake resume scam, which tricks you into giving up your acorns without actually helping you fix your resume. We also covered the fake job scam, where scammers make you pay acorns for training or send you a fake check and then ask you to return the money using a different check, ultimately stealing your acorns. Today, we are covering the last two types of BBB scams: Online Gambling & Crypto Scams and BBB Impersonation Scams.
what is the Online Gambling & Crypto Scams?
These scams make nutty promises to give you golden acorns, shiny tech, and easy riches. But in reality, these promises are fake, and all you get is a stolen identity and fewer acorns than you started with. Some scammers even create fake squirrel pubs online hangouts that promise nutty rewards and cozy community vibes. but once you enter, they swipe your acorns and scamper off.
How They Work?
There are a bunch of subtypes to this scam. most of the sub types use an unregulated platform and makes it mimic legit sites like online casinos or investment platforms. These scammers lure squirrels into their trap with tempting words like bonuses, jackpots, or “guaranteed returns.”
One of these subtypes involves scammers requesting you deposit your acorns as a crypto payment, then they block you and vanish into the treetops.
Another type lets you win a few rounds to make you think you’re doing well and build your trust. After they build your trust and you put some acorns into the site, they lock you out and hoard your stash, preventing any payout.
Different subtype of this scam involves apps that are either rigged to make you lose or unstable and crash as soon as you deposit your acorns.
The last two subtypes involve the scammers using emails to get you. The one of the two subtype has scammers impersonating a real platform and sending an email claiming there’s a problem with your account or something has happened, urging you to click the link below. The link they provide is fake and will steal your login or banking information.
The last subtype is when scammers message you saying they have cracked the system and offer to sell you betting strategies or fixed match information. This information is useless and just another way to swipe your stash.
What to Watch Out For!
Don’t trust anything that doesn’t have a legal license or has vague company information. Don’t trust sites that claim to “Double your deposit” or “200% ROI” or anything that seems too good to be true. If the site pressures you to act fast or demands an immediate deposit, that’s a sign it’s fake, there aren’t many things that require instant action. If the site requests private keys or seed phrases, that’s also a sign it’s a bad nut. Lastly, if there are withdrawal delays with excuses like “verification fees,” that’s another red flag.
what is BBB Impersonation Scams?
These scams are where the scammers pretend to be representatives from the BBB and trick people into handing over sensitive information or money. They generally target small businesses or older adults—especially those who might not be as quick to squirrel away their data.
How They Work?
There are four main subtypes to this scam.
The first subtype involves scammers emailing or texting your small business, claiming there’s a BBB complaint against you. To really sell the story, they’ll include fake case numbers and a logo. There will be a link they want you to click to fill out sensitive data—this link could also be malware, ready to gnaw through your system like a squirrel in a server room.
A different subtype claims your BBB accreditation is at risk unless you “verify” information. Just like the last scam, there’s a fake link—but instead of stealing your sensitive data, they’ll swipe your business credentials faster than a squirrel snatching a dropped granola bar.
Another subtype involves scammers spoofing BBB representative calls, offering credit relief or warning about fraud. These scammers will either have you transfer money to them or install malware on your device to harvest your information—think of it as giving a squirrel access to your nut stash.
The last subtype is when the scammer claims the BBB is investigating your device for fraud. They’ll either ask you to pay bogus fees for their “help” or give them remote access to your device. Both are squirrelly schemes that could leave your business hollowed out like an acorn after a long winter.
What to Watch Out For
Don’t trust any unsolicited contact claiming to be from the BBB. If it’s something really important, you can hang up and call the BBB number yourself to check if it was really them or just a squirrel in disguise. If the bushy-tailed caller requests personal or business information, be wary—real BBB representatives don’t go digging through your nut stash. The BBB does not access sensitive data like Social Security numbers or banking information unless you explicitly provide it during a dispute or verification process. Be on the lookout for emails with odd grammar, unfamiliar names, or weird domains—those are the first signs that the message might be a scammer’s acorn trap.
That’s all for today’s cyber-stuffed nutshell! Remember, staying alert is half the battel… and now you’ve got acorn-sized wisdom packed for future defense. Stay safe, my fellow squirrels!.
Here’s a link to report these scams if you find them
🔗 BBB Scam Tracker: Employment Scams
Here’s some more information
Consumer Advocate: Beware of Better Business Bureau imposters
Better Business Bureau: Impostor Scams on the Rise – Alaska Business Magazine
Better Business Bureau warns of online sports betting scams | WNCT
Code Squirrel, Cyber Security in a Nutshell 
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