Rockford Regional Office

Wouldn't it be great if we had so few scams going in Illinois that you could easily guess which scam claims the most victims here in our state?

I've never taken part in an online auction, and to be honest, I had no idea how popular they are until recently. According to the National Consumers League (NCL), online auctions are wildly popular, and nearly one third of adults in the United States who go online have participated in them (which is about 35 million people).

There have been scams around as long as humans have been around, which means that there are thousands of different ways for the unscrupulous among us to trick people out of their money.

Of course it is. Because simply organizing, filling out, and filing your taxes isn't a big enough pain in the butt, we have tax scammers who are looking to tap into your funds and personal information.

Romance scams have grown exponentially over the last few years, and they show no signs of slowing down. It's amazing to look at the amount of money that's been scammed from people who are just looking for love.

Hey, thanks for clicking here. Before we get started, I should let you know that I've been trying to reach you regarding your car's warranty, and how I can help protect you from costly repair bills...

You've got to appreciate consistency. In a world where things are constantly being disrupted, postponed, and cancelled, the people who prey on others sure aren't locking themselves down.

One of the worst but most effective scams to thrive under pandemic conditions has been the puppy scam. It really kicked into gear during the many lockdowns because more people were home, but even with less restrictions, it's still going strong.

Maybe 2021 is winding down, but the efforts of scammers targeting the public have done nothing but intensify over the course of the entire year.

It's bad enough learning that the men and women who most deserve our respect are being targeted by scam artists. It's worse knowing that this sort of thing is drawing attention on Veterans Day.