Officials with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), serving Nebraska, South Dakota, The Kansas Plains and Southwest Iowa, is warning businesses in the region that someone impersonating a BBB representative may contact your company with threats of prosecution. Business owners should be aware that these phone calls are not legitimate.

Earlier this week, a man using the name “Drew Aldridge” called a business located in Rapid City, South Dakota. He claimed that he was from the local BBB and informed the business that there were “several cases filed against their business that they had neglected to take care of over the past three years.” He proceeded to say that they now have an “F” rating and claimed there is a local attorney who is interested in prosecuting them. The caller said, “I am letting you know that formal charges may be coming against your business. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and have a good day.”

BBB President and CEO Jim Hegarty said “There is nobody employed at BBB with the name ‘Drew Aldridge’ and this company does not have unanswered complaints.” Hegarty said “This appears to be a pretty common scam that occurs all across the country. The callers will claim to be from well-established organizations such as the IRS, FBI and BBB, and they anticipate their message will scare the business enough to call back. Callers reportedly ask for detailed personal and business information. It is likely a phishing scam, designed to get information that can be used for illicit purposes or a means of gathering a list of leads that can be sold to other companies. The business owner may also be told that they can pay a fee to avoid prosecution.”

Representatives from BBB may contact businesses periodically by phone to handle complaints, update BBB Business Reviews or invite select businesses to apply for BBB Accreditation, but they do not threaten legal action. Businesses are encouraged to verify the legitimacy of a BBB representative by calling 800-649-6814. Additionally, any business that believes it has been contacted by someone who may be impersonating someone from BBB is urged to contact BBB with information that may aid in the investigation of this call.