Scammers came gunning for Washington, but residents largely refused to take the bait. The Better Business Bureau says people across the state sidestepped more than $1.1 billion in attempted scams as National Consumer Protection Week kicks off.
The bad news: crooks are not slowing down. Over the past 12 months, more than 5,000 Washingtonians filed scam reports with the BBB’s Scam Tracker, a surge the bureau says is roughly 200% higher than the year before. BBB officials say the rip-offs are getting more polished, from quick-hit impostor cons to long-game investment schemes that quietly bleed victims dry.
Cameron Nakashima of the BBB told reporters the focus this week is “education and prevention,” with an emphasis on helping people safeguard their cash and personal data when they are making big or high-stakes purchases, as reported by KOMO.
How Washingtonians are reporting scams
The spike shows up clearly in the BBB’s public complaint system. A big share of incoming reports involve impostor scams, sham online shops and bogus service providers that aim for smaller dollar amounts and, more importantly, personal information. Other reports center on investment-style fraud, including crypto pitches, so-called "pig butchering" schemes and investments dressed up to sound local, any of which can wipe out tens of thousands of dollars from a single victim.
These patterns line up with what the BBB is seeing in its broader data and consumer guidance. The BBB Scam Tracker tool offers a public, searchable map of local scam reports so people can see what is circulating in their own backyard.
The national picture: losses are growing
Federal numbers show that this is not just a Washington problem. Fraud reports and losses remain high across the country. The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network logged millions of complaints in 2024, with total reported fraud losses in the billions, and impostor scams alone accounting for nearly $3 billion in reported losses. Investment-focused scams were among the most expensive for individual victims, with especially high median losses.
All of that helps explain why local advocates are so keyed up about prevention. As detailed by the Federal Trade Commission, fraud remains a major and persistent source of financial harm for Americans.
Practical steps and local resources
The BBB and its consumer-protection partners are sticking to some tried-and-true rules. Do not share your Social Security number, bank details or account access with anyone who reaches out to you unexpectedly. Slow down if someone pressures you to act right away. When in doubt, run the situation by a trusted friend, family member or financial professional before you move money.
They also urge people to vet businesses before hiring or investing. That includes checking company backgrounds on the Better Business Bureau and using official state resources like the complaint portal of the Washington Attorney General for local guidance and to file formal complaints.
If you suspect you have been targeted or already lost money, reporting it is key. The FTC’s reporting portal and the BBB’s Scam Tracker both allow victims and witnesses to submit details that can help investigators spot trends and shut scams down. For more information on government impostor schemes, the Social Security Administration’s "Slam the Scam" resources gather advice and reporting options in one place.
According to the BBB, that mix of awareness and quick reporting helped prevent more than $1.1 billion in attempted losses in Washington. Still, officials warn that scammers are constantly changing tactics. Their message is simple: verify first, take your time, and use official reporting channels to flag anything that feels off.
