How scammers exploit small business owners’ biggest worries

Running a small business means dealing with problems you can't always control: finding good employees, keeping costs down, bringing in enough sales, paying taxes and planning for what's next. 

Scammers often take advantage of those pressures, offering solutions that turn out to be scams.

Key takeaways:

• Labor quality or availability was the top problem for 23% of small business owners surveyed by NFIB in August 2026.
• Inflation and taxes tied for second place, with 16% of owners naming each as their biggest problem.
• Financial pressure, hiring difficulties and regulatory worries can make certain scams especially convincing.
• Unexpected offers, urgent requests and unusually good deals deserve an extra check, particularly when they appear to solve a problem your business is already facing.

5 small business problems scammers exploit

The problems identified in the latest NFIB Small Business Economic Trends report are familiar to many small business owners: hiring, costs, taxes, sales and regulations. Each can also give scammers an opening.

Here's how they may use the problems you're already dealing with to get your attention and your money or information.

1. You can't find the right people, so a fake job applicant gets your attention

Finding workers remains one of the biggest challenges for small businesses.

In the NFIB survey, 23% of owners named labor quality or availability as their single most important problem, while 35% reported job openings they couldn't fill. Among businesses hiring or trying to hire, 82% reported few or no qualified applicants.

The FBI has warned U.S. businesses about North Korean IT workers who use false or stolen identities to get hired and gain access to company networks. 

What to watch for: inconsistencies between a résumé, online profile and interview; reluctance to verify identity; unusual requests involving equipment or payments; pressure to move quickly; or a candidate who seems unusually eager to gain access to sensitive systems early in the hiring process.

2. Everything costs more, so a great deal is hard to ignore

Inflation was the single most important problem for 16% of small business owners in August, up 2 percentage points from July. The historical average cited by NFIB is 7%. 

When you're trying to reduce expenses, a cheaper supplier, discounted software subscription or unusually good offer can be tempting.

That's exactly what makes fake supplier and vendor scams work. Before paying, check the company independently. If an existing supplier suddenly changes bank details, call them using a phone number you already know rather than one included in the message.

3. Taxes are already stressful, then a tax scam lands in your inbox

Taxes tied with inflation as the second most frequently reported top problem in the NFIB survey: 16% of owners said taxes were their single most important business problem.

Tax scams have an obvious advantage: most business owners can't simply ignore a message that appears to come from a tax authority. Scammers may claim that your business owes money, has filed something incorrectly, is due a refund or needs to verify information. The message may include a link to a fake website designed to steal login details or financial information.

Don't use the contact details or links in an unexpected tax message. Go directly to the relevant tax authority's official website or contact your accountant if you're unsure.

4. Sales are down, and someone promises to fix them fast

Poor sales were the single most important problem for 10% of small business owners in August, up 2 percentage points from July. The report also found that sales metrics worsened during the month, with a seasonally adjusted net -9% of owners reporting higher nominal sales over the previous three months. 

That creates an opening for fake marketing, SEO, advertising and business-growth services. Some services may simply be poor value. Others are outright scams designed to take your money, steal account credentials or get access to your website, social media or advertising accounts.

Be particularly careful when someone contacts you unexpectedly and combines a scary diagnosis, your website is broken, your Google listing is about to disappear, your competitors are beating you,  with an immediate solution you have to pay for.

5. Regulations are complicated, and fake government notices look official

For 9% of small business owners, government regulations and red tape were their single most important problem, up 2 percentage points from July. 

That makes official-looking compliance messages particularly useful to scammers.

A letter or email might claim that your business needs to pay for a registration, renew a license, purchase a required certificate or submit information before a deadline. Logos, reference numbers and legal-sounding language can make the request look legitimate.

Before paying or providing information, find out whether the requirement actually exists. Search for the relevant government agency yourself rather than following the link or calling the number in the message.

Get a second opinion on suspicious messages

You can't expect yourself or your employees to recognize every scam, especially when it looks like the answer to a real business problem. But you can use Scam Copilot to do it. It's an AI-powered scam detector trained to recognize scams targeting businesses, and you and your team can use it to check suspicious messages, links and other potential scams before acting on them.

Scam Copilot is included with Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security, which helps businesses with 2 to 25 people protect their devices and accounts against scams, phishing, malware and other online threats.

Try Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security free for 30 days. No credit card required.

You may also want to read:

• How to tell if your small business is properly protected
• Don't wait for a cyberattack: What previously breached businesses do differently
• Can your small business be hacked without you knowing?

FAQs

What are the biggest problems facing small businesses in 2026?

According to the NFIB Small Business Economic Trends report for August 2026, labor quality or availability was the top problem, cited by 23% of small business owners. Inflation and taxes followed at 16% each, while 10% cited poor sales and 9% government regulations and red tape.

What scams target small businesses?

Small businesses can be targeted by phishing, business email compromise, fake invoices, supplier scams, tax and government impersonation scams, fake business services and other fraud designed to steal money, credentials or sensitive information.

How can small businesses spot a scam?

Be cautious of unexpected payment requests, changes to bank details, urgent deadlines, suspicious links and offers that seem unusually good. Verify important requests through a separate, trusted channel before sending money or sharing sensitive information.

How can small businesses protect themselves from scams?

Use strong, unique passwords and MFA, keep devices and software updated, verify unusual payment and account requests, limit access to sensitive systems and give employees a way to check suspicious messages before acting.