The Rotary Club enjoyed a presentation by Odeta Doroftei, the Marketplace Programs coordinator for the Better Business Bureau (BBB) servicing Southern Alberta and East Kootenay.
The BBB is a non-profit organization funded by accredited businesses to offer services that foster trust in the marketplace. It was originally established in 1912, and there are now 112 BBB organizations across North America. The BBB has a Vision that "an ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each other".
Odeta provided an overview of the history of the BBB, of some of the challenges facing the marketplace at this time and several of the most dangerous scams that are lurking out there. She started by saying that "Being a victim of a scam is not your fault, and not to be ashamed if this happens to you". It is incredibly important to report such problems, to keep others from being future victims.
She specifically pointed out in "How to spot a scam"
- Time Constraints (it has to happen right now)
- Limited Availability (of this specific good or service)
- Emotional Factor (it will play on your feelings)
These are designed to keep you off balance and not thinking clearly.
The presentation ended abruptly, as she was finishing up, due to a failure of our laptop. Unfortunately no Q&A period was possible.