Hutchinson: Beware of fake reviews
“About 30% of online reviews are fake and cost U.S. businesses nearly $152 billion per year in damaged reputations and lost revenue.”
Randy Hutchinson
Columnist
Randy Hutchinson is the President and CEO of the BBB of the Mid-South, serving 28 counties in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. He graduated from Western Maryland College and has an MBA from Wilmington College. He can be reached at rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org
There are 83 articles by Randy Hutchinson :
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April 2025
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Guest Columnists
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March 2025
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Business Hutchinson: When replacing your roof, do your research
Consumers pull more Better Business Bureau reports on roofers than other kinds of businesses. Some who don’t later wish they had.
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January 2025
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Business Hutchinson: ‘Sextortion’ scams are on the rise
Anyone can be a victim of this crime, but teenagers are the most vulnerable. And the results can be deadly.
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November 2024
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Beware of these lending scams
A Florida woman claimed to have more than 10 years of experience in grant writing. In reality, her last known employment was at a Krystal, and she was on probation for stealing cash deposits from it.
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October 2024
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Business Hutchinson: Businesses beware of government-impersonation scams
The Better Business Bureau warns businesses and nonprofits to be wary of emails with anything other than .gov in the address.
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Be wary of false claims by for-profit schools
Before enrolling in a for-profit school, make sure it is legitimate.
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August 2024
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Privacy policies are important to understand
A recent study found 81% of the public say the potential risks they face because of data collection by companies outweigh the benefits.
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July 2024
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Cannabis edibles and kids don’t mix
Experts agree that the best advice is to not consume cannabis edibles in front of children, which can make them seem OK, and to not have them in the home.
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June 2024
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Don’t trust your data won’t be misused online
Personal information collected in an app could be misused despite data broker’s promises and privacy policies, so businesses must be sure the benefit of using it is worth the risk.
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May 2024
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Beware of cash advance apps
Personal finance apps like Brigit may be new, but established consumer protection principles apply.
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April 2024
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Poor password practices make hackers’ lives easier
Study after study show that 123456 is one of the most common passwords. Others in the top 10 include 12345678, qwerty (the first five letters on a keyboard), ********, 1q2w3e (check your keyboard to see why) and the word “password” itself.
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March 2024
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Be wary of get-rich-quick schemes
Even if you’ve determined a business opportunity is legitimate, be sure it’s right for you. Ask what you’d be selling or doing, how shoppers would find you, what your expenses would be and when you could expect to turn a profit.
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February 2024
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Ponzi schemes run gamut, from postal coupons to emu farms
Charles Ponzi gave his name to a type of investment scheme, but they were around before him and are with us still. Here are some red flags from the SEC and BBB.
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January 2024
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: ‘Check washing’ surges, can cost victim thousands
“Check washing” is a crime the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network says is surging despite the fact that the use of checks is declining.
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December 2023
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: FTC cracks down on addiction recovery companies
“Doctors peddling phony promises should know that the FTC will use its strengthened authority from Congress to stop them from exploiting Americans struggling with addiction.”
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Beware of AI scams
The Federal Trade Commission is concerned that consumers will be mesmerized by such terms as “machine learning” and “neural networks” and fall prey to crooks who misrepresent or outright lie about how AI is used in their products.
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October 2023
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Student loan debt relief fraud is rampant
With 43 million Americans resuming payments as the COVID-related moratorium ends and President Biden forgiving as many student loans as he can under various relief programs, the situation is ripe for student loan debt relief fraud.
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September 2023
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Beware of credit-repair offers
If there’s an error in your credit report, you can do anything a credit repair company can do to fix it yourself at little to no cost. If you’re asked to pay an upfront fee for help, it’s likely a scam.
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August 2023
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Health apps may share sensitive information
The FTC recommends that users of health apps look for a privacy notice that explains in simple terms what information the app collects, how it’s used, and if it’s shared with third parties and how they use it.
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July 2023
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Protect kids from ‘Frankenstein Fraud’
Synthetic identity fraud is harder to prevent or detect than other forms of identity theft. Children’s SSNs are particularly vulnerable because they often aren’t monitored and the theft may not be detected for years.
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June 2023
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Guest Columnists Advertisers being able to back up product claims is ‘bedrock principle’ of FTC law
The Better Business Bureau advises consumers to be skeptical of miracle health claims. Consult your doctor before trying any product that claims to prevent, treat, or cure a serious illness.
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May 2023
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Think carefully before cosigning a loan
Cosigning for a child with no credit record to buy a first car may be a good decision; cosigning a credit card for a delinquent brother-in-law not so much.
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April 2023
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: FTC challenges more bogus COVID claims
“When there’s a medical breakthrough, you’re not going to hear about it first through an ad or sales pitch.”
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: FBI warns about growing cryptocurrency scam
“Pig butchering” alludes to the practice of fattening up a hog before slaughter. The investment scam originated in Southeast Asia and spread worldwide during the pandemic.
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February 2023
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Guest Columnists Hutchinson: Made in the USA isn’t always true
If it’s important to you that a product is truly made in the United States, research the reputation of the manufacturer or marketer making the claim, including with the BBB, to be sure they’re trustworthy.
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