Two Olathe residents lost a combined $439.77 to online purchase scams during the week ending Aug. 8, according to Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker data reported by JoCo Today.
Both were online purchase scams.
The reports doubled Olathe's scam activity from the previous week, which logged a single report.
The first report, filed Aug. 2, listed a $400 loss from an online purchase fraud. The second, filed Aug. 4, described a "$5 sale at a well-known brand" that redirected the buyer to a phishing site, resulting in a $39.77 loss. The BBB labeled the $39.77 figure as the "largest credible loss," though the Aug. 2 report listed a higher dollar amount. The specific brand involved in the phishing redirect was not identified in the BBB data.
Online shopping fraud nationwide
Online shopping fraud was the second most commonly reported fraud category to the Federal Trade Commission in 2024, trailing only imposter scams. Consumers nationwide reported losing more than $12.5 billion to fraud that year, a 25% increase over 2023, according to FTC data released in March 2025.
The share of fraud reporters who actually lost money jumped from 27% in 2023 to 38% in 2024.
Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois, warned in the BBB's January 2026 annual report that "the key red flags remain the one-two punch of fraudsters... evoking a high emotion of excitement or fear and demanding immediate payment, often in the form of bank transfers, gift cards, or wires."
How to protect yourself
The FTC advises that any request to pay by bank transfer, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment app or gift card is a red flag. Those payment methods are difficult or impossible to reverse once sent.
Before buying from an unfamiliar online store, the BBB recommends watching for these warning signs:
- Prices that seem too good to be true
- No physical address or working customer service number
- Pressure to act immediately
- Payment only accepted via non-reversible methods
How to report a scam
Residents who believe they've been targeted can file reports through the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or through the BBB Scam Tracker at bbb.org/scamtracker. The BBB reviews each report before publication and does not publicly display the reporter's name or contact information.
The next weekly BBB scam digest for Olathe will cover the week ending Saturday, Aug. 15.
