Illinois residents should be on high alert for potential scams….
That’s the word from the Better Business Bureau, which says the state has become a hot
spot for identity theft attempts.
“In particular, they’re claiming to be from the Secretary of State’s office,” said Steve
Bernas, president and CEO of the BBB in Chicago and Northern Illinois. “They’re
basically asking you to click on a link or a text message, because something is wrong
with your account or you need to update your driver’s license information or something of
that kind.”
In one of the phishing schemes, scammers are taking advantage of long lines to renew
driver’s licenses and state IDs by claiming to offer a waiver for services, if the consumer
provides some personal information to confirm identity.
“A lot of governmental agencies are moving more towards texting information to the
public or using a mobile app to update your information,” Bernas said. “So consumers
really don’t see it as a fraud that’s going to happen to them.”
Unlike with email, Bernas says consumers tend to react immediately to texts, which can
put their privacy in danger.
“People on texts are acting quicker than they would in the past,” Bernas said. “Everybody
has their phones with them and they’re accessible 24/7. And the scammers found that a
great avenue to do their work.”
Another scheme making its way around the state involves the Illinois Department of
Employment Security. Fake websites, text messages and email have been created to trap
Illinois residents, some looking for unemployment benefits.
“It’s clearly stealing your identity in any way they possibly can,” Bernas said. “They want
to get your social security number. That’s gold to them. And it’s gold for anyone who
wants to steal your identity. That’s probably the fastest and easiest way to steal it.”
According to the Better Business Bureau, the Illinois Department of Transportation,
IDES, and the Secretary of State’s office do not send messages or emails requesting
personal information from the public.
Bernas asks consumers who may have been a target of these scams to report attempts to
the BBB, even if you did not become a victim.
“The only way to put scams out of businesses not to give them your business,” Bernas
said. “We need this information to notify the authorities, but also to notify the public as
well.”
[This story is from Illinois Radio Network News.]
