Latest news with #BetterCall4
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Woman claims she was bilked by adjustable bed company
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — In May 2023, Shelba Berger made the choice to switch to a Craftmatic Adjustable Bed. Berger did a quick search and made a phone call, then spoke with a sales representative named Randy. 'And he said, 'I have one (bed) in my warehouse,'' Berger said. 'And, he said, 'The mattress and everything will come to around $2,800.'' Berger said Randy told her she would need to make a $500 down payment, which she did. Then, once she received the paperwork confirming her purchase, she paid the rest. Scammers finding luck with 'smishing' scams; how to protect yourself 'He said it'd probably be three or four weeks,' Berger said. 'This was in May. And of course, by October, November… I did not have a bed.' Berger said months went by, and she never got the product she paid for. She continuously called Randy for help. 'I couldn't get a hold of him,' Berger said. 'And then, I would call the company and they'd say, 'Oh, he isn't in here today.' It was just phone call after phone call after phone call.' Tired of waiting, Berger called the Better Business Bureau in southeast Florida. They confirmed the company has an 'F' rating and a lot of unanswered complaints. She also called the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Then, she called Better Call 4. 'You're my last resort,' she said. Better Call 4 reached out to Craftmatic more than once but never got an answer. Then, Better Call 4 contacted the BBB serving southeast Florida. In an email, the BBB director of investigations said he made contact with the president of Craftmatic, who responded, 'That there was an issue with (Berger's) niece 'impersonating the customer, trying to cancel and getting a refund.'' Furniture retailer sued by Ohio for not delivering product, issuing refunds Better Call 4 asked Berger about that. 'So, I had a niece that was going to go to, was going to be in Florida and she said, 'I just might drop into their office,' but she never got around to it,' Berger said. Better Call 4 told the BBB that both women denied the claims and that the issue remains — Berger bought a bed and Craftmatic didn't deliver. The BBB director responded: 'I have spoken with Craftmatic management and they are aware of the matter. BBB cannot force consumers or businesses to work with us. The consumer's best option now may be to pursue restitution via a civil suit.' Better Call 4 passed that suggestion along to Berger and also reached out to Florida's Attorney General on her behalf, as Berger's complaint is just one of many. We'll keep you posted if there are any updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Severe weather can bring storm damage repair scams
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Spring is right around the corner and with the change in season comes an increased chance for inclement and dangerous weather. During Severe Weather Awareness Week, Ohioans are encouraged to be proactive and make a plan before severe weather strikes — in order to keep yourself, your family and your loved ones safe. Appeals court overturns part of Ohio law banning trans healthcare for youth Better Call 4 and the Ohio Attorney General's Office also want to help you prepare for the aftermath when repairs are needed and so-called 'storm chasers' come calling. 'So, they're going door to door, they're in the neighborhoods,' Ryan Lippe, a consumer educator with the Ohio Attorney General's Office, said. 'If they say they have leftover materials, it's probably a scam.' Lippe said there are contractors or companies that appear after a storm seeking to collect cash from vulnerable homeowners but are out-right con artists. Other times, they may be legitimate businesses that are just bad at business. 'When there's a natural disaster, some of them go way over their head in terms of the number of jobs they can support with their current workforce,' Lippe said. 'There's a gray area, where they might do a little bit of the work just to say they've done something, but then they leave either a shoddy job or they just don't come back to finish the job. So, sometimes it's a mistake on their end, sometimes it's a scam.' DOGE cancels $699K OSU research grant examining cannabis use in LGBTQ+ women Regardless, Lippe said, it's up to you as the home, business, or property owner to take steps to protect yourself. 'Check it out, get some research done on the company name, maybe get some more estimates before you decide to have work done,' Lippe said. 'Because under state law, if they're going door to door, they're supposed to be giving you a three-day cancellation period before they even start work. So, it's a red flag if they want to start work right away.' When it comes to cleaning up from severe storm damage, the best place to start is with your insurance company. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Consumer Protection Week good time for scam awareness
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — March 2-8 is National Consumer Protection Week, an effort by local, state and national agencies to make consumers aware of their rights, ongoing scam tactics, and the preventative steps they can take to protect their money and personal information. 'Whether we're talking about somebody that promised they were going to fix your house and they didn't, or you thought you were getting a car with a certain number of miles on it and it turns out that somebody rolled the odometer back, or just routine rip-offs and scams, we want to know about it,' Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. One woman lost $80K to a job scam; here's how to avoid them His office is just one of the agencies behind the week-long initiative. 'And even if we're not able to make your situation right, the fact that you called in may give us enough power to be able to stop somebody else from getting ripped off the same way,' Yost said. 'Because once they find a scam that works, they keep doing it until somebody makes them stop.' Whatever your consumer concern may be, the attorney general offered this advice — protect yourself. 'Be smart. Your grandma told you, 'If it's too good to be true, it probably is,'' Yost said. 'She was right. Another thing is to guard your information like it's, you know, gold.' Additionally: Never share money or personal information with someone you don't know or haven't met. Use credit cards to make payments, as they offer more protections. Get all agreements in writing. Need help? Contact 'Better Call 4' And know your rights. If you aren't sure where to start, the Ohio Attorney General's Office, Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio, and the Federal Trade Commission have more information and additional resources to help. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
One woman lost $80K to a job scam; here's how to avoid them
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Every year, imposter scams, online shopping scams, and investment scams involving cryptocurrency are consistently among the most common when it comes to fraud, according to agencies like the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission. So are job scams. Those typically come in two forms — fake postings on legitimate job search websites or text messages. Thrive Companies to transform former junkyard into mixed-use development That's how it all started for a central Ohio woman who called Better Call 4 to anonymously share her cautionary tale. 'I got a text from this lady,' she said. The sender claimed to be from a legitimate staffing agency. 'Asking if we, if I'm interested in any, any online jobs, part-time or full-time,' the scam victim said. Thinking she could make some extra money, she replied asking for more information. She was then offered a digital marketing position for a company base in Australia. A few days later, someone saying they were from the company's human resources department reached out through WhatsApp. 'And then she said, I will make $500 salary from the company in 10 days… $1,500 in 20 days… and $3,000 in a month,' the victim said. 'Which really happened in the first five days, I made $1,500 and they transferred all the money to my account.' ODOT introduces $2B road improvement project for U.S. 23 north of Columbus Not to her bank account, though, but to a digital wallet, meaning all the payments came in the form of cryptocurrency. 'I asked, 'Why are you using cryptocurrency?'' the victim said. 'She said, 'We have users from all over the world, so each country has their own, you know, currencies. It's more convenient for everyone.' And I said 'Okay.'' But without a complete understanding of how it all worked, and believing what the company told her, before she knew it, she was $80,000 in the hole. 'With crypto, the thing is that you can't reverse your money back,' the scam victim said. 'Yeah, it's gone.' Still, she filed a police report, hired an attorney, contacted the Ohio Attorney General's Office and the FBI. Then, called Better Call 4 to warn other job seekers. If you get a text like this: Do your research first; look into the company and reach out on your own. Don't click on links you think could be legitimate. Simply ignore the message and don't respond. 'They've been trying to get money from people like this, you know, it's just it's a new era for a scam,' the victim said. Need help? Contact 'Better Call 4' If you spot a text scam, tell the FTC and forward it to 7726 (SPAM), or use your phone's report 'junk' option to delete and report it. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Identity theft can happen at any time
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Identity theft can happen to anyone at any time. 'It's, oftentimes, it's a long-term process,' President of the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio Judy Dollison said. 'So, you don't even know that they've had access to your information and that they've started taking out credit in your name until a lot of damage has been done.' Better Call 4 answers your tax filing questions Better Call 4 has worked to get the word out about the importance of spotting the signs and stopping the scammers before it's too late. But some local, state and federal agencies are also working to educate and protect consumers during Identity Theft Awareness Week. From Jan. 27-31, the Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau, Social Security Administration and other organizations will hold virtual and in-person events focused on teaching you what identity theft looks like, how to protect your personal and financial information from it, and what to do if you become a victim. According to the FTC, it's often as simple as someone getting hold of and using your credit card or bank account details from a data breach, through phishing emails and text messages, or from card skimming devices. Need help? Contact 'Better Call 4' 'Know when your bills are due,' Dollison said. 'Sometimes, if someone has stolen your identity, they may have changed your address because they don't want your credit card bill going to you. So, really you want to stay vigilant and monitor your accounts on a regular basis. Look at your credit card statements and make sure there's no charges that don't sound right to you, you don't recognize the name and you always want to check your credit reports. You can access your credit reports annually for no charge. So, it's a good annual review, just to make sure there's been no additional accounts set up in your name.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
