PRESS RELEASE: Better Business Bureau® Leader of Preventing Financial Scams Initiative

The Better Business Bureau® will assume leadership of the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada’s Preventing Financial Scams Initiative. The BBB® has been a partner in this project since it was established in 2019. The BBB will utilize grant funding from the Community Foundation and the Washoe County Reinvestment Grant to distribute guidebooks, tip sheets, and educational videos about common scams in our community to further the initiative and help increase awareness of this prevalent issue.

“Better Business Bureau is the perfect partner to transition the Preventing Financial Scams Initiative to,” said Eaton Dunkelberger, chief executive officer for the Community Foundation. “They already do so much to help our community, particularly for seniors, to identify scams, including utilizing their BBB Scam Tracker to identify scam trends and better understand the impact of scams. We are excited that the BBB will continue to grow this initiative to help Nevadans identify and prevent scams for years to come.” 

“Our organization will continue these efforts, while at the same time, adapting it to meet the needs of residents in Northern Nevada,” said Timothy Johnston, vice president of outreach for BBB Serving Northern Nevada and Utah. “For example, the scam prevention tip sheet will allow us to distribute a helpful resource to isolated seniors who are most at risk of being scammed. And the Staying Safe After Loss Guidebook is tremendously helpful during the grieving process to help family members not get taken advantage of.” 

The Preventing Financial Scams Initiative is aimed at addressing and raising awareness about the prevalence of financial scams in our community.

“Knowing about scams and scammer tactics can be a person’s best defense in successfully reducing the impact of scams,” said Johnston. “We are looking forward to using the scam prevention materials to make a positive impact in our community.

The Better Business Bureau has empowered people to find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust for more than 110 years. For information about the BBB, and digital versions of the guidebook and tip sheet, visit BBB.org/Reno. 

The Community Foundation of Northern Nevada was established to strengthen our region through philanthropy and leadership by connecting people who care with causes that matter. The Preventing Financial Scams Initiative was established in 2019 to help prevent financial scams and is now led by the Better Business Bureau Serving Northern Nevada and Utah. Learn more at nevadafund.org/initiatives.