Schemers target small businesses

Small business owners are constant targets of scam artists, and those scammers aren't always trying to steal money. Sometimes they're after a company's financial or customer data, and will use many kinds of high- and low-tech methods to get it.

The Better Business Bureau Serving West Florida advises owners to train staffs to be vigilant against schemes preying on smaller firms. The Clearwater-based bureau gets thousands of complaints regarding invoice schemes or payment for unwanted products or services.

“Small business fraud can come from internal threats, such as employee fraud, or from external full-time sources,” says Karen Nalven, local BBB president. “Small business owners are a popular mark for any number of different schemes, often because they lack the time and resources to fight fraud.”