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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AB business targeted in longstanding 'vanity award' scam http://coab.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=743 The City of Atlantic Beach has received a local report of a longstanding nationwide email scam targeting small businesses. The local email told a business owner that her business has been selected for the “2018 Best of Atlantic Beach Awards.” As with similar emails sent to unsuspecting businesses and nonprofit agencies throughout the country, the “winner” must pay $149 to $229 to claim the honor and receive a personalized plaque. The ploy is known by Better Business Bureaus as a vanity award scheme. The names attached to the emails include, but are not necessarily limited to, The Best of (name of community) Award, The Award Program, Business Recognition and Award Connections. Websites that the “winners” are directed to include, but are not necessarily limited to, inrecognition.org, awardconnections.org, existial.org, cortist.org and encountry.org. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fraudulent Vanity Award Emails Circulating Through Local Business Community https://www.bbb.org/central-western-massachusetts/news-events/bbb-scam-alerts/2016/12/fraudulent-vanity-award-emails-circulating-through-local-business-community/ An email claiming your business has been selected for a “2016 Best of Worcester Award” with very little additional detail is landing in the inboxes of many local businesses. Better Business Bureau of Central New England urges businesses to recognize that these awards, which require you to pay a fee, hold little to no reputable value. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Better Business Bureau warns of 'vanity award' scam http://www.ktvz.com/news/business/better-business-bureau-warns-of-vanity-award-scam/88404128 The email informs small businesses and nonprofits they are a recipient of a "Best of (insert city name) Award." But in order to claim their trophy, they have to pay up. Business owners report being asked to pay anywhere from $149 to $229 to claim the honor and receive a personalized plaque. Some of these emails list a Seattle address as the place of business, however BBB investigators believe that is likely false information meant to deceive potential victims. The names attached to the emails include: The Award Program, Business Recognition and Award Connections. The websites the email recipients are being directed to are awardconnections.org, existial.org, cortist.org and encountry.org. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Business Awards Scam Hits the Jersey Shore http://943thepoint.com/business-recognition-awards-scam-hits-the-jersey-shore/ Did you get an e-mail letting you know your business is up for the 2016 Best of Ocean Awards? You're not alone, and it's not what you think. I recently received the same e-mail, from the "Ocean Business Recognition" alerting me that the radio station was in the running for an award in the Media & Entertainment category. Sounds promising, right? It directs you to a random website for more information, which is probably when you'd start to realize that something seems a little off. That's because it's a scam. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why Most Business “Awards” Are a Scam, Preying on Pride https://medium.com/@jimdee/why-most-business-awards-are-a-scam-preying-on-pride-bb6a7bb2d383 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- City Warns of Scam Targeting Alpharetta-Area Businesses The so-called Alpharetta Awards Program requires users to pay around $150 to receive a plaque. http://patch.com/georgia/alpharetta/city-warns-scam-targeting-alpharetta-area-businesses Recent emails informing Alpharetta-area businesses they have won an award from the so-called Alpharetta Award Program appear to be part of a scam designed to get companies to pay for vanity awards and plaques, the city said on Monday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vanity Awards Come to San Leandro http://sanleandrotalk.voxpublica.org/2015/10/07/vanity-awards-come-to-san-leandro/ You will proud to know that I have just been awarded the “Best of San Leandro 2015” award, in the restaurant category, for Marina Restaurant. You didn’t know that I owned Marina Restaurant? I didn’t either, though given that I’ve been getting their spam mail for years, I might as well. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Melbourne Beach, Florida - SCAM ALERT - Town of Melbourne Beach http://melbournebeachfl.org/Pages/MelbourneBeachFL_News/01B97C5C-000F8513?textPage=1 Melbourne Beach Police Advisory: Scam against Melbourne Beach Business Award program. This is a scam, if you receive an e-mail, “do-not” click on the links or respond. See below scam and again “do-not” respond to this. http://melbournebeach.awardprogram2013d.net/STWMDWM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This scam targets small business owners in a particularly cruel way. http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2011/09/20/best-of-fill-in-the-blank-award/ This is a scam. No matter how legitimate the Web site for the “US Commerce Association” looks, the site exists solely to sell this idiotic award to businesses so desperate for recognition that they’ll believe and buy anything. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBB Warns: St. Louis Award Program Tied To US Commerce Association Vanity Awards http://nwfl.bbb.org/article/bbb-warns-st-louis-award-program-tied-to-us-commerce-association-vanity-awards-38553 Your Better Business Bureau (BBB) is alerting small businesses and consumers to be wary of a new vanity awards program linked to the notorious US Commerce Association. The program, operating locally under names including the Pensacola Award Program, Gulf Breeze Award Program, Panama City Beach Award Program, and Tallahassee Award Program, notifies businesses via emails that they have been selected to receive a Best of [city] Award for their “exceptional marketing success.” The award program honors “the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the [city] area.” The BBB believes the program’s actual purpose is to persuade businesses to spend $80 to $180 for an award plaque or hand-polished crystal trophy. The emailed press releases announcing the awards are virtually identical to releases sent by the US Commerce Association, a Los Angeles-based business with a history of soliciting businesses for awards. The US Commerce Association has an “F” rating with the BBB, the lowest possible. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Commerce Association’s Business Vanity Awards May Have Little Value http://memphis.bbb.org/article/us-commerce-associations-business-vanity-awards-may-have-little-value-29920 The BBB of the Mid-South is issuing a business alert about U.S. Commerce Association’s “Best of” vanity awards. The “prestigious” awards from this national association appear to be part of a widespread scheme designed to get businesses to pay for vanity awards of little or no value. BBBs across the nation have issued warnings about this vanity award scheme since 2008. Businesses nationwide have reported receiving an email notification that they’ve been selected as an outstanding local business in their particular industry. The association’s website says winners are determined by their “marketing success, using information gathered internally in conjunction with third-party data” as a part of its selection process. According to Randy Hutchinson, BBB President, “That probably just means that they were able to find your contact information online.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bed and Breakfast Email Scam Alert http://chefforfeng.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/bed-and-breakfast-email-scam-alert/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All That Glitters? US Commerce Association Awards to Biz May Not Be What They Seem http://spokane.bbb.org/article/all-that-glitters-us-commerce-association-awards-to-biz-may-not-be-what-they-seem-11397 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Commerce Association Scam http://www.redrockblog.com/?p=42 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Business Owners - be on the alert for an email that originates from "US Commerce Association" (USCA) info@us-commerce-assoc.com http://www.scam.com/showthread.php?p=806477 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Beware of the US Commerce Association Award Scam http://www.ivetriedthat.com/2010/07/13/beware-of-the-us-commerce-association-award-scam/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Best of Scam 2009 http://scamswehavegotten.blogspot.com/2009/07/best-of-scam-2009.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Caution: The Business Award “SCAM” ALERT! Don’t believe the HIPE! http://www.familymediasite.com/?p=433#warrior_rWg1NN1384302646830 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Awards for sale: Not a rewarding experience http://responsiblemarketing.com/blog/2008/07/22/awards-for-sale-not-a-rewarding-experience -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Local Business Association Award or Scam? http://www.theoriginalsource.com/us-local-business-association-award-or-scam.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Small Business Award Scam http://sbditc.wordpress.com/2009/08/25/small-business-award-scam/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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The Register of Known Spam Operations (ROKSO) collates information and evidence on entities with a history of spamming or providing spam services, and entities affiliated or otherwise connected with them, for the purpose of assisting ISP Abuse Desks and Law Enforcement Agencies. |
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US Commerce Association / Business Recognition / Award Connections Index
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