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Illinois consumers are no strangers to scams–a review of the latest statistics shows how the Land of Lincoln is a favorite target.

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that in 2022 Illinois ranked fifth in the number of victims (14,786) of Internet-related crime and seventh in losses, at $266.7 million.
• In the second quarter of 2023, Illinoisans reported $52.7 million in losses connected to fraud–at least 60 percent higher than any other Midwestern state, according to the Consumer Sentinel Network of the Federal Trade Commission.
• Chicago got hit with roughly 147 million robocalls in July, third highest in the nation for cities, behind Atlanta and Dallas, according to new estimates from the anti-robocall tech firm YouMail. Half the calls were either scams (22 percent) or telemarketers (28 percent).

The good news–and some of you may have a hard time believing this–is that across the nation in July robocalls were down for the second month in a row, YouMail reports. The firm estimates it’s due to new federal regulations–including a June 30 deadline for smaller phone companies to join larger ones in employing special “STIR/SHAKEN” technology that makes it more difficult for robocallers to hide their identity through caller ID spoofing. “This is a positive sign that it’s at least temporarily gotten more difficult for scammers to get their calls on the U.S. telephony network,” YouMail CEO Alex Quilici said.

Still, scam artists will always find a way. It’s important to stay on top of the latest rip-offs, like the six below, to protect yourself from cyber crimes.

#1 Imposter Scams

What’s the scam?
You may receive texts, calls, a pop-up or emails (more on that below) from imposters trying to gain access to your private information and your money. These crooks claim to be a well-known business–such as your utility company; technical support; the government, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Secretary of State or Social Security Administration–or even a romantic interest or family member. Scammers who phone you can employ caller ID spoofing to look legitimate.  These scammers often have urgent messaging claiming that the situation is dire–maybe you owe money or are in trouble with the law.

What can you do?
The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network says imposter schemes were the second most-reported scam in 2022, robbing consumers of $2.7 billion. Never provide personal information via text, email or over the phone. If you’re concerned about a call, text or email you have received, call an official number that you find by visiting the website of the entity claiming to contact you.

Imposters also could show up at your door, posing as utility workers or government officials. The problem is enough of a concern that the Internal Revenue Service recently went so far as to announce it will largely reduce the number of unannounced visits to homes and businesses. Utility companies are aware of these imposter scams too.  “ComEd will never contact customers demanding immediate payment under the threat of disconnection,” ComEd said in a news release warning customers of imposters in the wake of the summer’s extreme heat.

“If anyone knocks on your door claiming to be a government official or a utility worker, request to see their identification to verify that the home visit is legitimate before you open the door,”  CUB Program Coordinator Matt Harvey said.  “You also can call the company or agency in question–with a number you find independently–and verify if an employee has been dispatched to your home.”

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#2 Phishing Scams

What’s the scam?
This is another variation of the imposter scam. The messages use urgency to try to trick consumers into clicking on fraudulent links to enter sensitive information (passwords, credit card details) on an imposter website, or to install malicious software (malware) that allows scammers to remotely control your computer and steal information. Some examples:

• A request from your bank to “verify” your account number.
• An unexpected hello from a friend, who asks you to download an attachment of a new photo of his kids.
• An urgent warning from “tech support” that your account has been hacked and you will lose vital information if you don’t immediately respond with your password.
• A tempting offer of easy money, or donation requests in the wake of a disaster.

What can you do?
Look closely at any emails or text messages you receive before clicking any links, as they might be a trap. While an email or text may look official, a closer inspection of the message may reveal spelling errors and bad grammar. If you ever get an official-looking text or email with a disturbing warning, don’t click on any links, don’t provide personal information and don’t do anything rash. When in doubt, contact the company/agency yourself. (Has a friend sent you an email out of the blue, asking you to download something or click on a link? Contact the friend first.) The same rules apply to “get-rich-quick” emails, donation requests and “urgent” messages that threaten to suspend your account or warn that your account has been “compromised.” CUB’s Internet Privacy Guide breaks down line-by-line how to spot a phishing email.

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#3 Family Scams 

What’s the scam?
Using AI-voice-generating programs, scammers recreate a loved one’s voice to prey on family members’ worst fears to get them to cough up payments or personal information. In the “Grandparents Scam,” the caller poses as a grandchild who’s in an emergency and needs help from grandma and grandpa–they’re stranded, they need a medical bill paid, they’re in legal trouble, etc. In the “Kidnapping Scam,” the crook spoofs the number of a loved one to get the person to pick up. The person then hears threats and possibly screaming in the background. They’re told if they hang up, the loved one will be in bigger trouble. (There are text versions of these scams also.) 

What can you do?
If you get a call claiming to be from a family member in trouble, hang up and try to contact the loved one yourself; contact another family member who may have access to the loved one; or contact your local authorities.

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