Valentine’s Day is less than a week away. While many people plan dates with significant others, look to get into the dating scene or simply want to let friends and family know that they care, scammers may unfortunately try to take advantage of the heightened communication around this special day. BBB wants you to be aware of 3 common scams that typically make an appearance during this time of year:

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This Sunday, January 9th at 7pm, NBC Dateline will debut a new series called "The Hansen Files" featuring investigative reporter Chris Hansen. The first episode was done with the help of the Better Business Bureau to expose a nationwide scheme involving less than trustworthy air duct cleaning companies.

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Last year, your BBB received over 23,000 complaints from consumers who felt they were taken advantage of by a business. Those looking for jobs, struggling to make money or get out of debt were the most common targets of scammers, hackers and deceptive businesses in 2010.

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The holiday shopping season will be in full gear this time next week, but it's not always the shopper that needs to be wary. This week, we received a concerned email from a local consumer who had placed an ad on Craigslist to sell her furniture. Someone had inquired about her ad, but unfortunately was too busy to come by in person to pick it up and wanted instead to send a check to pay for the furniture. Sounds innocent enough right? Here is where it gets interesting...

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These five holiday season scams are sure to steal your cheer. As you shop for your friends and family, look out for the common threats that BBB sees every year…

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A common way consumers can be tricked into a sweepstakes scam is when the person who initiates the contact identifies with a well known organization or government entity. Luckily the person who called BBB yesterday wasn't fooled by a phone call from the "Federal Gaming Commission."

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Phishing attempts seem to change just as fast as the weather. Case in point, this week several consumers reported to BBB they received a message in their personal email inbox from "PayPal" titled "Unauthorized access on your PayPal account!" Of course if you're a PayPal user, this could turn on the panic button, but luckily one consumer did not own a PayPal account and knew it was fake. Here is what the message looks like:

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Many people use TweetDeck to organize their Twitter lists and get automatic updates from those they follow. Lately, BBB has seen several messages populate Twitter telling TweetDeck users to download an update to the software. The messages include:

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Recently several local consumers have notified BBB about phone calls from individuals pretending to be debt collectors and threatening them with legal action or arrest. The consumers are told they must pay a supposed outstanding debt over the phone immediately. In some cases, the callers have social security numbers, bank information and the consumer’s address. BBB wants you to know what to do if a stranger calls claiming you owe them money.

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Recently we have sent a press release and appeared on local television stations to talk about scams that commonly target senior citizens. Just to show you the length scammers will go to, we received the following email last week from a concerned consumer whose neighbors were the target of a scam...

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It’s been nearly 4 months since oil began leaking from a well dug by British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. This environmental disaster captured the attention of consumers, as well as scammers, nationwide. While the leak has since been sealed, BBB continues to hear from consumers about potential scams related to a variety of issues stemming from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

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A couple of weeks ago, we warned you about timeshare meetings occuring in Corpus Christi. This week, we received another tip from a business owner in San Antonio alerting BBB to several possible locksmith scams. The story goes like this...

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The summer season continues to heat up and consumers are calling BBB concerned about free offers appearing in their mail and e-mail inboxes. The catch…they must attend a timeshare presentation. BBB reminds you to carefully read through these offers to avoid making a costly mistake.

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While the main portion of the 2010 Census has been completed, there are still loose ends that need to be tied up. That being said, consumers may still be visited by a Census worker or see them about in their neighborhood. BBB wants consumers to be aware of the final phases the Cenus Bureau is undertaking to prevent any misunderstandings.

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BBB has received over 10 inquiries in the past week from consumers in the Corpus Christi area regarding timeshare opportunity meetings that seem to come with strings attached. Consumers called regarding flyers in their mailboxes promising free trips to Las Vegas or cheap round-trip airfare to those who came to a meeting at local hotels or restaurants.

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As many Americans are seeking employment, BBB is warning job-seekers to watch out for red flags of employment scams to avoid losing money and sensitive information. Do your research to conduct a safe, fruitful job search.

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With more and more consumers making the switch to iPhones, BlackBerrys and other smartphones, security questions seem to be popping up regarding the applications you can download for each device. The obvious answer would be "if you're careful, everything will be fine," but BBB hears about scammers everyday that come up with clever ways to fool victims who take the right precautions.

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The summer season has officially arrived and that means vacations are right around the corner. With credit cards replacing traveler’s checks in popularity while away from home, it’s important to make sure your personal information stays safe. According to a 2009 Javelin Strategy and Research study, 43% of all fraud cases were due to lost or stolen checkbooks, debit cards and credit cards. BBB advises consumers on the go to keep these tips in mind…

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A couple of months ago, we warned you about a phony BBB lottery scam circulating mailboxes. Apparently that is old news and now scammers are moving on to using BBB's name in a sweepstakes scam. The BBB in Florida alerted us about a consumer who called and claimed someone from BBB informed him a company was looking for him because he was the winner of $85,000 and a brand new car. Wouldn't that be nice?

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Warmer weather in Central Texas is sure to have consumers thinking about summer plans. Whether you are looking to rent a vacation home or put your second home up for rent, Better Business Bureau is here with some advice to keep you from getting scammed.

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