The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to watch out for a website that is falsely charging for BBB complaint-resolution services.
Onlinebusinessscams.com charges consumers an up-front fee of $1,500 to $2,000 for assistance in collecting money owed from businesses only to forward consumers' complaints to BBB, according to a BBB press release.
BBB says it has received reports from consumers who received unsolicited phone calls that identified them as being victims of previous scams. They were then encouraged by the caller to provide personal information and to visit their website to register their complaint.
Onlinebusinessscams.com told one consumer that in order to help him collect money owed from a business, he needed to pay 30% of the amount owed, with half of that to be paid up-front, which he paid.
After receiving the fee, onlinebusinessscams.com asked the consumer to provide the details of the dispute so the site could determine whether to handle the "case." Afterwards, the consumer received an information packet that included an envelope addressed to BBB. Onlinebusinessscams.com told the consumer that it would recover his money within 90 days. The 90 days have passed and the consumer tried to contact onlinebusinessscams.com to no avail, according to the BBB.
BBB is also getting the word out that it offers dispute-resolution services to the public at no charge. Consumers never have to pay a third party in order to receive help from BBB.
For more information, visit mbc.bbb.org.
