Fraud

There's a new tougher policy on returns at Missouri and Illinois Target stores.

This is the time of year in Illinois when many are trying to hurry to finish home repair projects before the colder weather arrives. Criminals know this which is why the state of Illinois is warning of sinister home repair scams happening right now designed to rip you off.

Obviously no scam is good, but I would argue the worst are the ones that prey on emotions to rob a person blind or worse. That's why there are urgent warnings for Illinois women to be aware there are current ploys that use text messages to lure victims into romance and banking problems.

Crimes included rolling back odometers and falsifying documents.

Beware of any text you receive where a stranger appears polite and "nice". A new one is now making the rounds in Illinois where victims are receiving a link that includes many pleasantries, but it's sinister and will empty your bank account.

It's always wise to avoid any incoming phone call that says "unspecified" or "potential scam". But, did you know there are 12 specific phone numbers that scammers use all the time to rip off Illinois people?

You heard that right, Illinois has found itself among the top 20 most vulnerable states in America. Again, a list we wish didn't exist.

Everyone in the state of Illinois with a Social Security number is at risk for having their identity stolen, but two age groups get targeted aggressively and seemingly endlessly---the very young and the very old.

With some of the added pandemic unemployment benefits expiring, more and more Illinois residents are looking to get back into the workforce. Seeing a big opportunity to enrich themselves at the expense of others has brought out the scammers.

Rita Crundwell was comptroller for the City of Dixon, Illinois, until she was caught after swiping around $54 million dollars and sent to prison for a term of 19 and a half years. Now, she's out of jail.