SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) – The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about scammers trying to take advantage of people affected by the pandemic.

“One of our BBB accredited companies contacted us and told us that an SBA loan application had been taken out on their behalf and while it is not uncommon, it is not something we see very often. “said Jesse Schmidt of the Better Business Bureau.

Schmidt says the pandemic presents an opportunity for crooks to take advantage of people and businesses trying to recover in these uncertain times.

“There are so many different types of loans right now, there are PPP loans, and it looks like they’re going to be extended for a while, the SBA is also working with individual organizations to take out loans, and so on. So it’s just a great opportunity for the crooks to get started, ”Schmidt said.

Schmidt says a good way to prevent something like this from happening is to check your credit regularly. You can do this through a credit reporting agency.

“We encourage individuals to contact each credit reporting agency three times a year to get your individual credit report and see if there is anything that is incorrect, this gives you an opportunity to go out and correct that information. “, Schmidt mentioned.

To do this, Schmidt says you can contact the organization someone is trying to take credit for.

“Say” hey, it’s not me, you have to revoke this loan, or stop it “, and then of course our recommendation is that this is an opportunity where consumers should freeze their credit because no new credit cannot be underwritten in your name if you have a credit freeze, ”Schmidt said.

Schmidt says that if your identity is stolen or your credit is compromised, it is better for it to happen in the early stages. Otherwise, she says it could be a long process. She says there are services that can identify when something like this is happening and let you know.